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.

Companion Website Links:

Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.

Nursery IPM.

December 2, 2024

Does your farm, ranch or ag business host visitors?

Be counted! If your farm, ranch, or agricultural business is open to visitors, please take 5 minutes to complete a short survey from our colleagues at the University of Vermont. The deadline for the survey is Friday, December 13.

Click here to take the survey or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://go.uvm.edu/agt24

The goal of this survey is to understand how many agricultural operations in the U.S. welcome visitors for direct sales and experiences, including pick-your-own, farm stands, tours, overnight farm stays, recreation, etc. This information will be used to inform future programs and support.

This research study is led by Dr. Lisa Chase, Extension Professor at the University of Vermont and Director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center. If you have questions about the survey, please contact Lisa.Chase@uvm.edu or 802-656-7532. If you have questions about your rights as a participant in a research project, please contact the Research Protections Office at the University of Vermont at 802-656-5040.

 

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
November 27, 2024

Get Ready for the 2025 NJ Ag Convention – February 3-6

It is that time of year again to sign up for the annual NJ Agricultural Convention, co-sponsored by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Visit the VGANJ website at https://vganj.com/convention-tickets to register.

For 2025 there are new and exciting opportunities to learn about all aspects of the agricultural industry at the educational sessions and from vendors at the trade show. If you came last year, you also saw many new improvements to the convention – more vendors, more educational sessions, a complimentary lunch (limited free tickets) on Tuesday highlighting “what’s new from industry”, a complimentary hot buffet at the Tuesday happy hour/charity auction, youth programs for FFA, and co-convention events with the NJ Department of Agriculture. These offerings and more are coming for 2025. New events like Monday afternoon workshops, a livestock session, an agricultural policy session, an environmental session, and others are confirmed for this coming year. Licensed pesticide applicators will see an increase in recertification credits on the program for 2025. 

To check out the educational programming and NJDEP recertification credits for pesticide applicators see https://go.rutgers.edu/ConvProgram2025 – this is a draft program. Also, note that some events need special sign-up so read the program carefully to see what events need pre-registration.

NJ State Board of Agriculture information for the convention is coming soon. Check out their website at Department of Agriculture | Conventions.

If you have any questions about the VGANJ registration, go to https://vganj.com/#contact. If you need more information about the educational programs please contact the Rutgers Co-Chairs for the convention – bamka@njaes.rutgers.edu Bill Bamka, Agricultural Agent in Burlington County, or minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent in Gloucester County.

Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape, work shop Tagged With: ,
November 26, 2024

Tools For Calculating Crop Production Costs

Estimating costs of production for individual crops can be challenging, but an important practice to understand where there might be areas for savings or investment in better inputs. It becomes even more difficult when there are multiple crops grown on a farm. A new online tool is now available to make it easier. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Nursery Tagged With: , , ,
November 25, 2024

Ag Irrigation Water Log Template Simplifies Annual Water Use Reporting To NJ DEP

 

https://go.rutgers.edu/IrrigationLog

 

As 2024 winds down and irrigation pumps are finally being shut off after a very long, dry season, thinking about calculating how much water was used to be able to fill out that NJ DEP report form in a couple of months is likely the furthest thing on your mind. However, the RCE Ag Water Use Log Excel Template <https://go.rutgers.edu/IrrigationLog> can make that process much easier, whether you have used it all season, or just need an easier way rather than tabulating all those hours of pumping by hand. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
November 14, 2024

Does your farm, ranch or ag business host visitors?

Be counted! If your farm, ranch, or agricultural business is open to visitors, please take 5 minutes to complete a short survey from our colleagues at the University of Vermont.

Click here to take the survey or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://go.uvm.edu/agt24 

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
October 3, 2024

Virtual and In-Person Credit Meetings this October – Rutgers Horticulture Plant Health Educational Series

We invite ALL horticulture professionals (nursery, greenhouse, Christmas tree, vegetable, row crops, fruit, turf management, arborist, landscape professionals, etc.) to attend the following educational sessions surrounding overall plant health topics, pest management principals, and pesticide use and safety considerations. The events on Thursday October 10th and Tuesday October 15th will be virtual (& free), and Tuesday October 22nd will be in-person ($30 fee) at the Cumberland County RCE building (see below).

The virtual courses will count as in-person credits so long as you follow these instructions. 

  • MUST have a live video feed (and are visible the entire time), upload a government issued photo ID —AND— NJ Pesticide license prior to the meeting (1 time for both 10/10 and 10/15) via a secure Rutgers Connect folder (follow directions below, only the agents will have access to information for verification), and participate in all poll questions.
  • MUST – UPLOAD Gov ID —AND— Pesticide License HERE – PRIOR TO MEETING (1 time for the whole series)
    • “Last name_ First_ Photo ID” AND “Last name_ First_ Pesticide License”
    • If you click on the photo ID upload link using a smart phone/tablet you will have the option of simply taking a photo of your IDs and uploading them directly into the system. Otherwise, you can scan a copy of your photo ID into a computer and follow the directions at the upload link. Please contact twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu if you are having trouble with this and we will assist you.

Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe.  Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training series. 

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October 10th (TH) – virtual:

5:30-6:00pm: Login and ID verification: 5:30 – 6:00pm, (Poll #1 at 6:00pm)

6:00 – 7:00PM: Beech Leaf Disease & Experimental Treatment Options – Jean Epiphan RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each PP2, 2, 3A, 6B, 8C, 9, 10

7:15-8:15PM: How Chemicals Work and Which to Use – Tim Waller RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each – CORE, 1A, 3A, 3B, 6B, 8C, 10, PP2

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October 15th (TU) – virtual:

5:30-6:00pm: Login and ID verification: 5:30 – 6:00pm, (Poll #1 at 6:00pm)

6:00 – 7:00PM: Root Disease Management in Plants – Tim Waller RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each – PP2, 1A, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, 10

7:15-8:15PM: Designing a Pesticide Regime – Tim Waller RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each – PP2, 1A, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, 10

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October 22nd (TU) – IN-PERSON (Cumberland County RCE – 291 Morton Ave. Millville, NJ 08332)

5:30-6:00pm: Arrival and sign in.

6:00 – 8:15PM: Horticultural Plant Health – CORE 101– Tim Waller RCE

Credits obtained: 4 each – CORE, 1A, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, PP2

  • Note for this in-person event (10/22/24) there is a $30.00 fee per participant. Only checks or cash will be accepted at the start of the event. Please make checks payable to “Rutgers the State Univ. of NJ”. Pre-registration is encouraged.
  • Registration: By phone – Cumberland County RCE Office: 856-451-2800, EXT 1, or walk-in (but be early, session will begin on-time).
Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, pesticide credits Tagged With: , ,