Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

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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May 9, 2016

Beekeeper Notification for Pesticide Applications

Does a pesticide applicator need to notify beekeepers when applying a pesticide? That depends on these three factors: the specific pesticide being applied, the distance to the bee yard, and whether or not the beeyard is registered with the NJDEP.

Bee hives for squash pollinationThe NJ Pesticide Control Regulations, at NJAC 7:30-9.11, require that beekeepers must be notified when pesticides that are labeled as hazardous to bees are applied within three miles of a registered beeyard. Not all pesticide applications require notification. The types of pesticide applications exempt from this notification are spelled out in the regulation.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
May 3, 2016

On-Farm Food Safety:
The Difference Between an Audit & an Inspection

Over the last 15 years we have talked about third party audits to verify your food safety plan. Now you are hearing about inspections.
What is the difference?

Audits

Audits are voluntary evaluations that growers are doing at the request of their buyers. Some growers may not think that audits are voluntary since some growers have been told if they did not have one, a specific buyer would not purchase their produce. That is true, but you still had the choice to sell to someone else if you did not want to go through the audit process. The audit was verifying what you said you were doing for food safety.

Inspections

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has added the inspection component to food safety. The final FSMA rule went into effect January 2016. As FSMA is implemented over the next two to four years, growers will hear more about inspections and how it may impact their operations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now has more authority for fresh produce which adds another layer of compliance for growers. Inspections will be done by a government entity with specific requirements and implies some type of enforcement in the future. FDA is not in any hurry to start an enforcement program. They have made it clear that education is the first priority, but in reality sometime in the future there will be enforcement. Who will do the inspections is still being decided between FDA and the different states. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture will probably be the lead agency as it relates to farms and on farm packinghouses.

Coping with New Rules: On-Farm Readiness Review

There is a group of extension personnel from Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and North Carolina working with the National Association State Departments of Agriculture on a grant from the FDA to develop an On Farm Readiness Review. This will be a self-assessment tool for growers, extension personnel and inspectors to help everyone when a farm is inspected. The plan is to have the final version available next year.

Growers will receive training over the next year to help comply with the Produce Rule in FSMA. The good news is growers who have been through a third party audit already meet or exceed most requirements for FSMA. Water testing is the one area where there are differences, but the training will help clarify those differences.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops
April 28, 2016

Spring Update for Pesticide Compliance

Plan ahead this Spring for maintaining pesticide compliance: ensure proper pesticide applicator training and licensing; track and report pesticide storage inventory; and document pesticide applications in a central area to notify workers.

Up-to-Date NJDEP Pesticide Applicator Licensing

Pesticide Applicator Certification is designed to demonstrate a certain level of competency by pesticide users on the safe use of pesticides. Users of pesticides are classified as either private applicators or commercial applicators. Consult updated information on the NJDEP Compliance and Enforcement web pages to determine what you and your employees need to do for certification or recertification.

Note that per the Worker Protection Standards (WPS), employees who don’t apply pesticides but do work in areas where pesticides are applied will need appropriate training and will need to carry blue WPS “worker” documentation of that training.

Pesticide Storage Inventory

See Jack Rabin’s reminder, Pesticide Storage Inventory due May 1 to Fire Department, for storage inventory and cover letter forms to help make compliance more convenient.

Record and Post Notification of Pesticide Applications

The “central posting” viewing area is a Worker Protection Standards requirement serving to inform workers that pesticides have been applied. Pesticide applications must be posted within 24 hours of the application and records must be kept for a 3-year period.

Resources
NJDEP Commercial Pesticide Applicator Information
http://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpo-appcom.htm

NJDEP Worker Protection Standard Summary Sheet
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpc/wps/inspection.pdf

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
April 27, 2016

Pesticide Storage Inventory due May 1 to Fire Department

Licensed pesticide applicators and dealers in New Jersey who store pesticides are required by law to send a copy of their inventory along with a cover letter to their local fire company by May 1st each year. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
February 23, 2016

Greenhouse Production Short Course

Date: March 7 and 8, 2016
Location: NJ EcoComplex, Bordentown, NJ

Come learn about the exciting world of greenhouse production! In this two-day class, our team of expert instructors will cover the core topics you need to either get your greenhouse off the ground or improve an existing program. The class will include a tour of the EcoComplex greenhouse and a mini trade show featuring greenhouse structures and supplies.

Click to View Agenda & Registration Form

This class will cover the topics below and more!
• Greenhouse Structures
• Heating
• Ventilation
• Cooling
• Supplemental Lighting
• Shading
• Control Systems
• High Tunnel Production
• Crop Production
• Hydroponics
• Irrigation
• Nutrient Management
• Pests and Diseases
• Aquaponics
• Specialty Crop Production
• Business Plan Basics
• Marketing and Sales

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
February 2, 2016

March Meetings: Pumpkin School & CSA Marketing

South Jersey Meeting: Wed, March 2, 2016
RCE of Burlington County,
2 Academy Dr, Westampton NJ
– or –
North Jersey Meeting: Wed, March 16, 2016
Warren Grange No. 110 Hall,
102 Broadway-Asbury Rd. Broadway, NJ

Pumpkin School

This program for commercial pumpkin growers, covers the business aspects of pumpkin production, disease identification and control, as well as post harvest considerations. Pesticide safety and record keeping will also be discussed. Pesticide credits are awarded upon program conclusion. See Pumpkin School brochure for details.

Date: March 3, 2016
Location: Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Warren County
165 County Road 519, South Belvidere, NJ 07823
– or –
Date: March 10, 2016
Location: Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County
1200 N. Delsea Dr, Bldg A, Clayton, NJ 08312

Community Supported Agriculture Conference

The Rutgers NJAES Agritourism Team is presenting a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Marketing Conference. Topics will include CSA marketing as well as budget development with a focus on cost of production, price/share determination, and optimal membership numbers. See CSA Conference brochure for details.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates