CANCELLED: 2/10 Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminar

The first stakeholder seminar for the Extension Specialist in Farm Viability position, originally scheduled for Monday (2/10), has been cancelled. See below for details on the next candidate seminars scheduled for 2/17 and 2/26. 

These seminars will take place at the Middlesex County E.A.R.T.H. Center located at 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on the following dates. We welcome you to attend in person, but a Zoom option is available. Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu for Zoom attendance troubleshooting. [Read more…]

You’re Invited: Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminars

Three top candidates for the position of Extension Specialist in Farm Viability have been invited to campus for multi-part, in-person interviews. We invite all members of the agricultural community to attend the candidates’ stakeholder seminars.

These seminars will take place at the Middlesex County E.A.R.T.H. Center located at 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on the following dates. We welcome you to attend in person, but a Zoom option is available. Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu for Zoom attendance troubleshooting. [Read more…]

FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE GROWER TRAINING

February 6, 2025 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Pre-Registration Required Deadline to register online is Monday February 3

 New Jersey Vegetable Growers Convention at Harrah’s Waterfront, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ

 This training fulfills the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that at least one person from each farm needs to receive a standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA.

Topics Include:

  • Introduction to Produce Safety
  • Worker Health, Hygiene & Training
  • Soil Amendments
  • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals & Land Use
  • Agricultural Water – Production Water
  • Agricultural Water – Postharvest Water
  • Postharvest Handling & Sanitation
  • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

Each attendee will receive a grower manual and be eligible for a certificate from the Association of Food & Drug Officials of the United States (AFDO). Note: Each participant must stay the entire training to be eligible for the certificate of training.

The cost is $50/per person,

Registration is separate from the registration fee to the Vegetable Growers Convention.

*Participants must be registered with VGANJ for the convention to attend this workshop.

For more information, email Jennifer at jmatthews@njaes.rutgers.edu

(Lunch is on your own)

Register at:  https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/fsmaac/

This training is partly funded through grants from the United States Department of Agriculture & the Food & Drug Administration.

Note:

Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training is available from the USDA Farm Service Agency. This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on the farm. For more information on this program please go to: Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops for Program Years 2024 and 2025

REGISTER NOW – Stop the Bleed Training at NJACTS

Flyer for a Stop the Bleed TrainingA Stop the Bleed® training will take place at the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 10 AM to 12 PM. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the life-saving skills of pressure application, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. Registrants for this free training will also receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Space is limited, secure your spot today!

To attend, you must first register for the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show. Single and multi-day passes are available on the VGANJ website.

Then, email Kate Brown (Ag Agent, RCE-Somerset County) at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu to reserve your spot for the training. Please include participant’s name and a contact phone number.

Questions? Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Stop the Bleed Training at NJACTS

Stop the Bleed logoUncontrolled bleeding after injury is a primary cause of preventable death. Are you prepared to stop a life-threatening bleed?

Stop the Bleed® training will teach you how to control bleeding through application of pressure, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. You are invited to attend an upcoming Stop the Bleed® training to be hosted at the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 10 AM to 12 PM. 

To attend, you must first register for the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show. Single and multi-day passes are available on the VGANJ website.

Space is limited to 30 participants. Email Kate Brown (Ag Agent, RCE-Somerset County) at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu to secure your spot. Please include participant’s name and a contact phone number. Registrants will receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Questions? Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Beat the Heat: NWS Forecast Tools – Expanded

6-10 day temperature outlook from the National Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service compiled a list of resources on “Weather Information for Agriculture”. Direct links to long range outlooks (6-10 day and 8-14 day periods) for temperature are one inclusion which may be relevant for on-farm planning related to heat stress prevention.

Farmers may utilize other tools referenced in this resource to:

  • Evaluate recent precipitation and conduct monthly or seasonal reviews of precipitation
  • Monitor current drought conditions
  • View 1-7 day forecasts for severe weather, excessive rain, air quality, and other weather-related hazards
  • Explore long-range outlooks (up to 3 months out) for temperature, precipitation, and drought

Article By: The Rutgers Farm Health and Safety Working Group: Kate Brown, Michelle Infante-Casella, Stephen Komar and William Bamka