The proceedings from the 2025 New Jersey Agricultural Convention educational sessions are now available online. Visit the Vegetable Crops Online website for this year, and previous years, proceedings.
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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February 17, 2025 Claudia Gil Arroyo
CMC Board of Agriculture’s 2nd Annual Industry Night
If you are in Atlantic, Cumberland or Cape May County, you are invited to the 2nd Annual Industry Night:
Janine Spies, State IPM Program Coordinator for New Jersey will provide an overview of Integrated Pest Management and Pesticide Safety for New Jersey Agriculture. Spies’ talk has been approved for Pesticide Credits for CORE (2) and PP2 (2).
From 6 to 8 p.m. visit the Lockwood 4-H Youth Center for networking, food, and vendors. The Center is located on the Cape May County 4-H Fairgrounds, 355 Court House – South Dennis Road, CMCH, NJ 08210.
Additionally, a complimentary dinner, catered by Matt’s Family, Taste the Love!, is being provided by the Cape May County Board of Agriculture.
Industry Night is free, however, those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by February 26 to 609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or to capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu.
February 17, 2025 Kate Brown
TONIGHT: Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminar
Seowoo Lee, candidate for Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, will deliver her stakeholder seminar “Bridging People, Science, and Environment: Supporting New Jersey Agriculture Through Applied Economics” tonight, February 17, 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. [Read more…]
Advanced Audit Training For Growers
Monday, March 3
9am – 12pm EDT
Cost: $10.00 per person
Location: Online, Zoom
You will receive the Zoom link by email approximately 1 week before class and a reminder email the morning of class
Registration Deadline & Refunds:
Deadline to register is Friday February 28, 2025
Refunds up to 7 days before event, online service fee is nonrefundable.
This online program offers growers a deeper dive into audit standards and on farm food safety issues they face on their farms. Compliance hot topics and recurring issues will be discussed as well as a timely update on traceability. This program is for growers who have already taken the Introduction to Audits Class, either online or in person.
Topics Covered Include:
- Hot Topics in Food Safety
- Cleaning and Sanitizing
- Hazards v. Risks
Any questions email Jennifer Matthews at jmatthews@njaes.rutgers.edu, 609-675-4221
A minimum of 10 people required to hold the class.
Growers who complete this training will receive a certificate.
To register go to https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KygQyXTbRlVOLk
Don’t Forget Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training Available
This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on their farms.
For 2025:
- Application is due between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026
- Eligible expenses must be between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) by working directly with the Farm Service Agency offices at your local FSA office for details. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.
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 2025. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements. 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:
- Have obtained or renewed: 2025 food safety certification issued during the calendar year.
- Be a specialty crop operation (growing fresh fruits and vegetables); and meet the definition of a small business or medium size business.
- A small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of not more than $500,000.
- A medium (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
| Category of Eligible Expenses | Payment Amount of Eligible Costs |
| Developing a Food Safety Plan for First Time Certification | 75% (no maximum) |
| Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan | 75% up to $675 |
| Food Safety Certification | 75% up to $2,000 |
| Certification Upload Fees | 75% up to $375 |
| Microbiological Testing of Produce | 75% up to 5 tests |
| Microbiological Testing of Soil Amendments | 75% up to 5 tests |
| Microbiological Testing of Water | 75% up to 5 tests |
| Training Expenses | 100% up to $500 |
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts. The FSCSC application and associated forms are available online at farmers.gov/food-safety.
You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office 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.
For food safety resources, information on the Food Safety Modernization Act and third party audits go to Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety
February 8, 2025 Kate Brown
CANCELLED: 2/10 Farm Viability Extension Specialist Candidate Seminar
The first stakeholder seminar for the Extension Specialist in Farm Viability position, originally scheduled for Monday (2/10), has been cancelled. See below for details on the next candidate seminars scheduled for 2/17 and 2/26.
These seminars will take place at the Middlesex County E.A.R.T.H. Center located at 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on the following dates. We welcome you to attend in person, but a Zoom option is available. Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu for Zoom attendance troubleshooting. [Read more…]
