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Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Keep up with the latest news on this dynamic topic that impacts growers on multiple levels. Developing a farm food safety plan is a good idea for all growers, and may be required as part of food safety audits if you sell to certain buyers.
View NJAES On-Farm Food Safety Publications
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“The NJDA Deer Fencing Program makes cost-sharing funding available for the installation of deer fencing on unpreserved farms. The program is conducted in accordance with N.J.S.A 4:40-6.1.”
Please click here for the full application, eligibility, and other important information
Timing is important if considering this program. NJDA began accepting applications on 5/15/23.
Do you irrigate produce?
Have questions about Subpart E or agricultural water?
The On-Farm Food Safety Team is involved in a national survey to find out:
This survey will help us get a better understanding of what you know and how extension educators can assist the industry. Please take a few minutes and fill out the survey by clicking on the image to the right.
Did you know that well trained employees have a higher job satisfaction and feel more valued by their employer? Employees satisfied with job training are more committed to their employers and more willing to accept organization goals and values. This is a key component in creating a food safety culture on your farm. Well trained, committed employees are less likely to look for another job, reducing employee turnover on the farm and the turnover costs associated with having to find new employees.
Growers leave training courses with a lot of information, the majority of which needs to be taught to your employees. You are sent home with food safety educational tools such as handouts, knowledge, and binders, but are not given guidance on how to use these resources to train your employees. This webinar will help.
Join us on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 to talk about tips to train employees at our free lunchtime webinar Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices from 12 – 1pm Eastern Time.
This webinar will feature Phil Tocco, Extension Educator at Michigan State University Extension.
At the end of the webinar participants will:
You can register for the webinar at this link: Webinar: Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices
March 1, 2023: Advanced Audits Online Training from 9:00-12:00
This online program offers growers a deeper dive into audit standards and on-farm food safety issues they face on their farms. Current hot topics in food safety will be discussed as well as how to foster a food safety culture on your farm, updates to the harmonized audit, post-harvest sanitizer use and labeling and more! Certificates will be sent out to those who participate in this program.
$15.00 per person
Deadline to Register is February 27, 2023
March 15, 2023: Food Safety Training for Blueberry Growers from 10:00-1:00
Topics included horticulture sanitizer chemistry and how they work, a risk vs. hazard hands-on training, updates to the FSMA Ag Water Rule, an update on Traceability, what the New Jersey Department of agriculture found in 2022 during FSMA inspections and more. Certificates will be sent out to those who participate in this program.
Where:
Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research
125a Lake Oswego, Chatsworth, NJ 08019
$50.00 per person (lunch included)
Deadline to Register is March 8, 2023
For more information or to sign up for both trainings: Go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/8bgart4a
Did your specialty crop operation recently incur on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023? You may be eligible for financial assistance through USDA’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC).
USDA’s Farm Service Agency will accept FSCSC applications for calendar year 2022 from June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023. The application period for calendar year 2023 runs from February 1, 2023, through January 31, 2024.
How the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Works
The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements.
For each year, FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses.
Program Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for FSCSC applicants are outlined below. We recommend you review these requirements before initiating your FSCSC application.
To be eligible for FSCSC, an applicant must:
Ineligible expenses include infrastructure improvements, equipment, supplies, salaries and benefits, and fees or penalties for late payment.
Eligible Expenses
Specialty crop operations that obtain food safety certification through a group model under a food safety management system are eligible to apply for assistance for their share of eligible expenses paid by the group, in addition to any eligible expenses they incur individually. If requested by the Fam Service Agency, specialty crop operations certified as part of a group under a food safety management system must provide documentation of the applicant’s portion of the group’s expenses from the entity responsible for maintaining the group’s certification.
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts as described in the sections above. Applicants must report any previous cost share assistance received for the expenses included on their application.
The Farm Service Agency will issue payments for program year 2022 following approval of the application. For program year 2023, payments will be issued after the end of the application period. USDA may prorate 2023 final payments if calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding.
Apply for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crop Program
The FSCSC application period for calendar year 2022 will be June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023. The application period for calendar year 2023 runs from February 1, 2023, through January 31, 2024.
Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for FSCSC by working directly with the Farm Service Agency office at their local USDA Service Center. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.
Alternatively, producers with an eAuthentication account may apply for FSCSC via our FSCSC Application Portal. Applications will be completed, electronically signed, and submitted directly to your local USDA Service Center through this online system. Please reference our FSCSC Application Portal User Guide for additional information, including step-by-step application instructions. Producers interested in creating an eAuthentication account should visit farmers.gov/sign-in to learn more.
The following forms are needed to apply for FSCSC:
You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office at your local USDA Service Center with any questions about FSCSC, program eligibility, or the application process. You may also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance.