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 16, 2017

Ultra Niche Crops: Asparagus

Learn how to grow, market and sell asparagus and make more money on less land!

Join us on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 for a two and a half hour class that will include:
• Virtual Fieldtrip
• Crop Profile
• Q & A Session with a specialist, farmer and buyer of the product.
• Networking
• Dinner
By the end of the class you will know if growing asparagus is right for you. Dinner will be served at 5:30.

Pesticide recertification credits available for all Ultra-Niche Classes.
1A (Ag plant): 3 credits
PP2 (Private Applicator): 3 credits

Three locations available: Please select location of choice when buying tickets.
• Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 121 Northville Rd., Bridgeton, NJ 08302-5919
• Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, 310 Milltown Rd., Bridgewater, NJ 08807-3587
• Rutgers EcoComplex, 1200 Florence Columbus Road, Bordentown, NJ 08505

For more information call Jenny Carleo, Agricultural Agent at (609) 465-5115 or email Jennifer Matthews at jmatthews@aesop.rutgers.edu.
Deadline to register is December 8, 2017 at 5:00 pm.

Register online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ultra-niche-crops-asparagus-tickets-38005402181

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
November 14, 2017

Workshops to Meet Your Food Safety Training Requirements

Do you need the FSMA Produce Safety Rule training? Third Party Audit training?  Choose one or both days of our upcoming workshops.  Remember, the FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not require training each year for compliance, but your third party auditor may require it!  Register online at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com or call Tammy Commander at (856) 451-2800, ext. 1 or email commander@njaes.rutgers.edu

 

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

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety
November 3, 2017

Rutgers Center for Remote Sensing & Spacial Analysis Presents DIY GPS & Drone Workshops

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).

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
October 22, 2017

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!

Register Now!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
October 16, 2017

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

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety
October 12, 2017

Food Safety Survey Looking for Responses from NJ Growers
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.
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.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Vegetable Crops