Rutgers Cooperative Extension
The New Jersey Department of Agiculture Administration and Staff have moved from their previous office building to a new location.
In the event anyone needs to drop off samples for testing or visit the NJDA for any reason, please be advised of this change of location.
The new building address for the NJDA office is: 200 Riverview Plaza, 3rd Floor, Trenton, NJ, 08611
The mailing address remains: PO Box 330, Trenton, NJ, 08625
For more information see the NJDA website.
Although this training opportunity is New York-based, it will have information that covers topics related to all employers who hire seasonal employees.
Attend a 1.5-hour, on-line program Best Practices for Onboarding Seasonal Workers. Learn the key things you should have in place to be ready to welcome a group of seasonal workers. This program will follow an onboarding guide, Onboarding Seasonal Farm Employees, that was developed by Liz Higgins, CCE Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, Mark Wiltberger, CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Program, and Richard Stup, CCE Ag Workforce Development. The onboarding guide covers:
-required paperwork and documentation for a new hire, including seasonal, migrant workers
-required trainings (with an emphasis on fruit and vegetable farms) and guides for developing a training plan
-tips for bringing on new employees and having them productive from day 1, especially when you are up to your eyeballs in work!
-tips for creating a welcoming environment where employees feel connected to their workplace and competent on the job.
January 26 | 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
January 27 | 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
January 28 | 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
To register see information in the Morning Ag Clips at https://www.morningagclips.com/onboarding-seasonal-farm-employees/
By, Stephen Komar and Michelle Infante-Casella
Livestock producers are eligible for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2). If you commercially raise animals for food, fur, fiber, or feathers, you may be eligible for assistance. Check to see if you raise eligible livestock through the USDA’s Eligible Commodities Finder.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency will accept CFAP 2 applications through December 11, 2020.
Learn more at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance.
You may have seen this information in the November 5th “Morning Ag Clips” edition. If not, please see this information being reposted here about webinars on soil health being held on November 17th and 18th.
Healthy soil is within the reach of every farm and ranching operation. The principles that govern healthy, productive soils are simple: nourish, build and leverage the soil microbiome—work with nature instead of against it.
Exemplifying the belief that soil health is an opportunity and responsibility for every farm, Heliae® Agriculture has announced a virtual 2-day educational event: Rethinking Soil Productivity, to showcase soil health opportunities that farms in every geography, of all scope and scale, can take advantage of.
The live webinar experience will kick-off on November 17th at 11 a.m. eastern standard time with an in-depth discussion with renowned Rutgers University plant pathology professor, Dr. James White, who will be joined by Heliae Chief Revenue Officer, Norm Davy and Vice President of Agriculture Science, Dr. Karl Wyant. The trio will explore the soil’s microbiome through discussion and the examination of Dr. White’s research on the Rhizophagy Cycle. The session promises to offer insight into the newly discovered process of a plant’s ability to “farm” the beneficial microbes it needs and fundamental management strategies that can be implemented within any production model.
Day 2 on November, 18th, brings the Heliae® Agriculture science, research and sales team together in a discussion that focuses on the creation of a healthy soil biome. Here, the team will take a deeper look at the multitude of benefits that come from working with nature rather than against it, sharing the timeline of the PhycoTerra team’s research and discovery, and the efficacy and return on investment a regenerative approach brings to any farming operation. Both sessions will feature a dedicated live Q&A segment to allow viewers to submit questions to the panels of professionals for real-time answers, and will offer participants the opportunity to earn four Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) continuing education units (CEUs) in the following areas:
Approved CEUs (4 Total)
Nutrient Management: 1
Soil and Water Management: 1
Crop Management: 1
Professional Development: 1
Each day will also feature breakout sessions that focus on showcasing regional PhycoTerra® trial results. Breakout sessions will be hosted and presented by the Heliae® Agriculture team with live Q&A provided for every session.
Sessions will include:
NOVEMBER 17TH:
Florida & Georgia – Berries, Leafy Greens & Potatoes
•Time: 2:00 PM EST
Canada – Wheat & Canola
•Time: 3:00 PM EST
Midwest – Corn & Beans
•Time: 4:00 PM EST
NOVEMBER 18TH:
Spanish Speaking
•Time: 2:00 PM EST
Pacific Northwest – Potatoes & Wheat
•Time: 3:00 PM EST
Arizona & California – Strawberries, Almonds & Leafy Greens
•Time: 4:00 PM EST
For more information on the 2-Day Webinar experience: Rethinking Soil Productivity or to register visit: https://bit.ly/3euoMnW
Farmers and others are welcome to join this bi-weekly teleconference every-other Wednesday night from 7:00pm-8:00pm in October. The 10/14/20 webinar/call in event is the 3rd of 4 events. The last webinar in this series will be on October 28th. Events are hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents working with the farming industry.
This call-in or WebEx webinar event features updates on farm management, crop conditions, farm industry observations, agricultural agency programs and other topics discussed by farmers, agricultural agents and other agricultural service providers.
Some topics for this Wednesday include:
1. Status of the New Jersey Vegetable Growers Convention in 2021
2. Fall Season Updates
Hosted by Agricultural Agents Bill Bamka, Stephen Komar, Michelle Infante-Casella and Meredith Melendez, this bi-weekly communication provides a forum for discussion for farmers and all involved in NJ agriculture, including agricultural agency personnel, non-profit organizations and others.
To join the “Ask the Ag Agent” forum each week on a computer/tablet/smartphone via the WebEx Videoconference
Click Here to Join or use the link https://go.rutgers.edu/g4v4gy0x
To Join by phone call:
+1-650-429-3300 passcode 1202639477##
For this event and other Rutgers Cooperative Extension events see the NJAES Calendar.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents have been receiving questions from farmers on what to do with the renewal applications they recently received from NJDEP Pesticide Control Program. The invoice may be somewhat confusing. So here are a few tips to help.
1. The $0.00 Amount Due is correct on the invoice. Farmers with a “Private” applicator licenses do not pay for licenses and renewals. So you do not need to send any payment and in the box where it says “enter the amount of your payment” enter $0.00.
2. The best way to complete this renewal is not to mail in the form, but instead renew online. CLICK HERE to renew your license online. YOU WILL NEED YOUR PAPERWORK WITH YOUR “INVOICE NUMBER”. Do not use the NJEMS Bill ID number, instead find the invoice number above.
It would be a good idea to print the screen with the confirmation that you renewed online, since the system does not send you an email confirmation. The screen also states, “License generation may take a few weeks”. So, please be patient and if you need to use your license number, continue to use the same number on your expired license for recertification credits, as your license number will not change. It also says to not send the paper forms once you did your online submission. See photo to the below for an example of the confirmation screen you will see when renewing online.
3. If you must mail the renewal, here are some TIPS:
a. You will need to provide your own envelope and a stamp when mailing back the forms.
b. Also, the form may be confusing since the bottom tab to return says to mail to Treasurer-State of New Jersey, while the “Reminder” section says to mail forms/letters to NJDEP Licensing and Registrations.
c. Do not mail the bottom tab and other information for renewal of your Private Pesticide license to NJDEP. It is to be mailed to the NJ Department of Treasury – as stated on the return portion at the bottom of the first page.
d. Fill out page 2 and check to see if all your information is correct on page 2. Do not forget to sign and date the bottom of page 2 before mailing with your “payment” tab from page 1.
e. It may be best to send these forms in using USPS “Certified Mail” or UPS or FEDEX to track that it was received. Your pesticide license is very important for your business and you would want to verify it was received.
If you need more assistance with pesticide licenses, contact the NJDEP. Contact information in the photo below.
Best wishes and we hope this information is helpful in renewing your NJDEP Private Pesticide Applicators License.
