Wondering if/how you can use drones and GPS data on your farms/business? Workshops at Rutgers University Inn/Conference Center in New Brunswick will help you decide if you want to try it yourself –
Dec 11 – Use your Smartphone/Tablet for High-Precision GPS Data Collection
Dec 12 – Learn to Do-it-Yourself – Accurate Drone Mapping Made Easy
Register for one or both days here (preregistration discount ends Nov 15). Detailed agendas are online here or download the Workshop Brochure & Agenda (pdf).
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.
Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS.
November 3, 2017 Rick VanVranken
Rutgers Center for Remote Sensing & Spacial Analysis Presents DIY GPS & Drone Workshops
October 22, 2017 Meredith Melendez
Webinar: Estimating Pesticide Risk to Improve Product Selection
Webinar: Estimating Pesticide Risk to Improve Product Selection and IPM Program Evaluation
Pesticides are invaluable tools for food and fiber production, and undergo careful evaluation prior to registration and commercial availability. Post-registration risks remain, and can be managed through informed product selection, and use-specific mitigation measures. The Pesticide Risk Tool (PRT) is an innovative, science-based online software designed to help inform pesticide decision making. PRT can also be used to assess IPM program performance, comparing risk reduction over time, across program participants, and participants vs. non-participants. PRT addresses a wide range of concerns including risks to workers, consumers, birds, earthworms, small mammals, aquatic environments and pollinators; mechanics for estimating risks to each concern are described in peer-reviewed white papers available at https://pesticiderisk.org/about/materials. PRT is currently used in multiple certification and supply chain programs. This free webinar will introduce PRT including examples of how PRT is used by pesticide users and program managers to minimize risks. Certified Crop Advisors can earn 1 CEU (0.5 Integrated Pest Management, 0.5 Professional Development) just for watching.
Join us live on Wednesday, October 25th from 2:00PM-3:00PM CT (3:00PM-4:00PM ET) on GoToWebinar.
Can’t make it? No problem! Register below and we will send a link with the recording after the live event.
By the end of the webinar, you will understand the benefits of using PRT to inform pesticide application decisions and track risk reduction in your IPM programs!
October 16, 2017 Meredith Melendez
2017/2018 Farm Food Safety Trainings
2017/2018 Farm Food Safety Certificate Trainings
Registration required!
2017
November 29 and 30
FSMA-Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days, 9am-4pm. Lunch included.
December 13 and 14
FSMA-Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County, 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am-4pm. Lunch included.
2018
February 8th
FSMA- Produce Rule Training ,NJ Agricultural Convention & Trade Show, 777 Harrahs Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ 08401. $35.00 per person, register online or at the door. 9am-4pm. Lunch not included
February 20 and 21
FSMA- Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 930 Spruce Street, Trenton, NJ 08648. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am-4pm. Lunch included.
February 28 and March 1
FSMA- Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County, 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332 . $50.00 for 
day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am- 4pm. Lunch included.
March 14th
FSMA- Produce Rule Training for Blueberry Growers, Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research, 125a Lake Oswego, Chatsworth, NJ 08019. $50.00 per person, 9am-4pm. Lunch included.
Register online at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com or call Tammy Commander at (856) 451-2800, ext. 1 or email commander@njaes.rutgers.edu
October 12, 2017 Rick VanVranken
Food Safety Survey Looking for Responses from NJ Growers
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A National Grower and Processor Needs Assessment currently underway is seeking additional input from the Northeast farmers and food processors who serve local markets. The Local Food Safety Collaborative aims to provide specialized training, education, and outreach. They are conducting a food safety survey until October 31, 2017 to help direct their resources to best enhance fundamental food safety knowledge and help small farmers and processors comply with applicable Food Safety Modernization Act regulations.
How will this work benefit the Northeast? The overall results of this survey will be shared with the region but with enough local responses, specific information relative to the NE can be determined, including identified barriers to implementing food safety practices, such as types of material and training needs for growers and processors.
The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete, is available in English and Spanish, and participants can choose to enter a raffle to win 1 of 20 $100 gift cards. Responses are anonymous and confidential. The survey can be found at www.localfoodsafety.org/survey.
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The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) is an FDA-funded Regional Center (RC) hosted by University of Vermont Extension, led jointly with co-directors from Cornell University, University of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania State University and The University of Maryland and in partnership with stakeholders from the Northeast Region.
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October 2, 2017 Meredith Melendez
Garlic Production Basics – Ultra-Niche Crops Series
Learn about growing garlic through:
– A virtual field trip
– Participation in a panel discussion with specialists and farmers
– Completion of a risk assessment to determine if this crop is right for you
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Dinner 5:30 p.m.
Class 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Choose your location: Cape May Court House, Bordentown, Bridgewater
Register online!
September 15, 2017 Rick VanVranken
NJ DEP Surveying Irrigation Water Certs & Logs
A call from a local farmer late last week indicated an NJ DEP inspector had stopped by to ‘survey’ water use and had asked to inspect his irrigation records. The call was to say, “Thank you!” for having given him earlier in the year an irrigation pump log sheet to use. He had made a couple of copies and given them to his irrigation manager who has been recording the hours pumped every day. The inspector was happy to see that. The farmer was happier. [Read more…]
