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 19, 2025

North Jersey Commercial Fruit Grower Meeting Program and Registration

NORTH JERSEY COMMERCIAL
FRUIT GROWERS MEETING

March 5, 2025
8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Bldg. 1
Flemington, NJ
Program

Program Chair
Megan Muehlbauer, PhD
Agriculture and Resource Management Agent
Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County

8:30 – Registration
Coffee and pastry, compliments of industry sponsors

9:00 – Welcome and Introductions

9:10 – North Jersey Tree Fruit IPM Updates
Kaitlin Quinn, North Jersey Fruit IPM Program Associate, Cooperative Extension

9:40 – Mycorrhizal Fungi Applications and their Effect on Soil Biology and Tree Health
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, ANR Agent, Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon

10:10 – Pest Updates for Tree Fruit in North Jersey
Anne Nielsen PhD, Specialist in Fruit Entomology, Cooperative Extension

10:40 – Weed Management Technologies for the Orchard and Vineyard
Thierry Besançon, Specialist in Weed Science, Cooperative Extension

11:10 – Compliance in Pest Management: Status Update for Chlorpyrifos and the Endangered Species Act
Janine Spies PhD, Statewide Program Leader and Agriculture Agent in Fruit IPM, Cooperative Extension

11:40 – Update on Farm Service Programs
Laura LaFevre, County Executive Director, Hunterdon/Somerset Office, Farm Service Agency

11:50 – Jersey Fresh Marketing Update
Joe Atchison III, Assistant Secretary, NJ Dept. of Agriculture
Christine Fries, Coordinator of Agricultural Marketing, NJ Dept. of Agriculture

12:00 – LUNCHEON (pre-registration required)

12:50 – What is New from Industry

1:10 – Understanding How Irrigation Water can be a Source for Soilborne Diseases in the Orchard
Kari Peter, Associate Research Professor Tree Fruit Pathology, Penn State University

1:40 – Bitter Rot in Apples What we Know and How to Control it
Kari Peter, Associate Research Professor Tree Fruit Pathology, Penn State University

2:10 – Pesticide Protection, Precautions and Procedures
Spencer Kerkhof, Environmental Specialist, Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement NJDEP

2:40 – What can the Rutgers Diagnostic Lab do for You

Rich Buckley, Director of the New Jersey Soil Testing & Diagnostic Services
Sabrina Tirpak, Laboratory Researcher II, Plant Diagnostic Laboratory Rutgers

3:10 – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJDEP PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS ARE ANTICIPATED

 

Click here and fill out this form to register for the meeting then fax or email to:
Fax: (908) 806-4735
E-mail: kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

If you have any questions please call Kim Crommelin: (908)-788-1338

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, pesticide credits, Tree Fruit
February 18, 2025

NJ Ag Convention Educational Session Summaries Available Online

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.

Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Commercial Ag Updates, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
February 17, 2025

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.

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
February 17, 2025

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…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
February 12, 2025 , , and

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

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
February 10, 2025 , , and

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

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, training, vegetable, Vegetable Crops