Commercial Ag Updates + Farm Food Safety

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Ag Agents provide updates on what they see in the field, upcoming events, and other important news that affects your operation, such as developments in on-farm Food Safety. Subscribe if you wish to be notified about workshops, meetings, and upcoming commercial ag events.
 
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March 2, 2025

Stop the Bleed Training in Burlington County: Registration Open

Rutgers Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, will host a Stop the Bleed training on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The training will be held from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Rutgers EcoComplex located at 1200 Florence Columbus Rd, Fieldsboro, NJ 08505.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the life-saving skills of pressure application, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. Attendees of this free training will also receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please complete our pre-registration form by Monday, April 1.

Questions? Email Kate Brown, RCE-Somerset County Ag Agent, at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu or call 908-526-6293.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
February 28, 2025 , , and

LAST CHANCE FOR FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE GROWER TRAINING

When:  March 10, 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 Where:  Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 1440 Parkside Ave., Ewing Township, NJ 08638

Pre-Registration Required Deadline to register online is Monday March 3 

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 $100/per person (Lunch included)

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

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

This training is partly funded through grants from the United States 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

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
February 28, 2025

South Jersey Spring Vegetable Growers Meeting

DATE: Thursday, March 27, 2025
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County
Shady Lane Complex, 254 County House Rd, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
(Please enter through the far-right side of the building up the first ramp)

CO- SPONSORED BY THE VEGETABLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY
NO REGISTRATION NEEDED

 

6:00 -6:30PM Sign in and Light Dinner

6:30-7:00PM Rutgers Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Update
Amanda Quadrel, Sr. Program Coordinator, Vegetable IPM, RCE

7:00-7:30PM Update on the Water Requirements for the Produce Safety Rule
Wes Kline, Ag Agent, RCE Cumberland County

7:30-8:00PM Update on Disease Control in Vegetable Crops
Andy Wyenandt, Rutgers NJAES Vegetable Pathologist

8:00-8:30PM Labor and Regulatory Updates from NJ Farm Bureau
Ben Casella, NJFB

8:30-9:00PM USEPA/NJDEP Worker Protection Standards Overview for Pesticide Safety
Michelle Infante-Casella, Ag Agent, RCE Gloucester County

9:00PM Pesticide Recertification credits – CREDITS INCLUDE: 1-CORE, 3-PP2, 3-Cat. 1A, 2-Cat. 10

Contact the RCE of Gloucester County Office for more information 856-224-8040 ext. 1 or email Michelle Infante-Casella at minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu 

Pesticide Recertification Credits have been requested from NJDEP for this meeting – TBD.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Organic Production, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
February 27, 2025

Farmer Resource Fair in Somerset County

All New Jersey farmers are invited to attend this Farmer Resource Fair which will feature an array of agricultural service providers. In-between a light breakfast and a hearty lunch, there will be engaging presentations and opportunities to visit with service providers at their table displays. The program schedule, as well as a preliminary list of service providers who’ve confirmed their attendance, is included below.

The event will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm at the Ted Blum 4-H Center located at 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807.

Click here to register for this free event (registration is required). Please register by April 1, 2025.

This collaborative event is being organized by Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, Somerset County Agriculture Development Board, and the State Agriculture Development Committee Next Gen Program. We hope you will join us! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
February 26, 2025

TONIGHT: Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminar

Kelvin Amon, candidate for Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, will deliver his stakeholder seminar “Willingness to pay for pest management information: Evidence from specialty crop growers” on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. 

The seminar will take place at the Middlesex County E.A.R.T.H. Center located at 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902. We welcome you to attend in person, but a Zoom option is available. Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu for Zoom attendance troubleshooting.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – Kelvin Amon

Flyer for seminar

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
February 24, 2025

Stop the Bleed Training in Hunterdon County: Registration Open

Rutgers Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, will host a Stop the Bleed training on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. The training will be held from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Amwell Valley Fire Company, located at 22 County Road #579, Ringoes, NJ 08551.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the life-saving skills of pressure application, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. Attendees of this free training will also receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please complete our pre-registration form by Friday, March 14.

Questions? Email Kate Brown, RCE-Somerset County Ag Agent, at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu or call 908-526-6293.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: