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Christmas Trees Edition
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Seasonal pest alerts and news about insects, diseases, and weeds impacting Christmas Tree production including Commercial Ag Updates (meetings and marketing); and Pesticide Program updates from the Rutgers Pest Management Office News Blog.
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Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
May 8, 2024 Rick VanVranken
RU Ready to Farm Equipment Demo Day at Specialty Crop Research Farm – Cream Ridge
May 7, 2024 Rick VanVranken
Heat and Pollen Combine For Uncomfortable Outdoor Working Conditions
Accuweather Tree Pollen Forecast for Southern NJ
Though the CDC Heat Risk Forecast indicates minor risk today, and little to none for the rest of the week, NJ pollen forecasts indicate tree pollen counts will be high for the next several days. It doesn’t take much outdoor work to see, and feel, the amount of pollen in the air.
Pollen quickly accumulating on surfaces during this week’s tree shedding.
Working in these conditions can be uncomfortable with that combination of heat and pollen, and risky for those with respiratory health problems and/or allergies. Those KN-95 masks used for COVID-19 prevention can reduce the discomfort of working in high pollen and other dusty conditions, so keep a supply on hand for all your workers.
May 6, 2024 Rick VanVranken
NJDA Announces 2nd RFP for Underserved, Beginning and Military Veteran Farmers Mini-Grant Program
Last Friday, the NJDA closed the Request for Proposals (RFP) period for our Underserved, Beginning and Military Veteran Farmers Mini-Grant Program. Due to a recent increase in interest in the program, we have decided to extend a second RFP window to members of our specialty crop community who qualify. The second RFP will be open to the public starting May 10th, with the final application deadline now May 31st @ 5PM.
A number of exciting applications from members of NJ’s specialty crop community were received during this first application period. To expedite the review process, all applications submitted prior to May 3rd will be reviewed over the next few weeks. Applicants from the first RFP period can expect a funding decision following the NJ Board of Agriculture meeting on May 22nd. Applicants who apply during the second RFP period can expect a decision following the June 26th NJ Board of Agriculture meeting.
For those interested in learning more about this program, the NJDA will be hosting a webinar to promote the Underserved, Beginning and Military Veteran Farmers Mini-Grant Program on Friday, May 10th at 11 am EDT. Please join to learn more about the program guidelines, eligibility, and application process. Q&A will follow the presentation. Registration is not required. A recording of the webinar will be available for those who are unable to attend.
More information about the program is available at the following links:
Program Webinar – May 10th at 11am.
May 1, 2024 Pat Hastings
EPA Proposes to Cancel All But One Use of Pesticide Acephate to Protect Human Health
[EPA April 30, 2024]. Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing a proposed interim decision (PID) to cancel all but one use of the pesticide acephate. This decision is based on EPA’s updated human health draft risk assessment (HH DRA) and drinking water assessment (DWA) that were released last year, which showed significant […]
April 23, 2024 Hemant Gohil and Megan Muehlbauer
Statewide Wine Grape Twilight Meeting.
Sponsored by the New Jersey Center for Research and Education, the program’s highlight is the demonstration of the new in-row weeding machine from TILMOR by Allonardo Enterprises. There will also be a demonstration talk on Groundhog management and other wildlife management in the vineyard. The program details are below. The sequence of presentations may change depending on the set-up at the winery. [Read more…]
