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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 8, 2024 Rick VanVranken
RU Ready to Farm Equipment Demo Day at Specialty Crop Research Farm – Cream Ridge
May 8, 2024 Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez and Jennifer Matthews
Webinar on the FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water – MAY 20, 2024 – Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) invites the public to registerExternal Link Disclaimer for a webinar on the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water (Agricultural Water Final Rule). The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview of the final rule and answer pre-submitted and live questions.
Background
The final rule replaces certain pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce (other than sprouts) in the 2015 Produce Safety Rule with requirements for systems-based agricultural water assessments to determine and guide appropriate measures to minimize potential risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water. Specifically, this rule:
- Establishes requirements for agricultural water assessments that evaluate a variety of factors that are key determinants of contamination risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water; this includes an evaluation of the water system, water use practices, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, potential impacts on water from adjacent and nearby land, and other relevant factors;
- Includes testing pre-harvest agricultural water as part of an assessment in certain circumstances;
- Requires farms to implement effective mitigation measures within specific timeframes based on findings from their assessments. Hazards related to certain activities associated with adjacent and nearby land uses are subject to expedited mitigation; and
- Adds new options for mitigation measures, providing farms with additional flexibility in responding to findings from their pre-harvest agricultural water assessments.
The rule also finalizes the dates for compliance with the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for non-sprout covered produce as follows:
- For very small farms: 2 years, 9 months (April 5, 2007)
- For small farms: 1 year, 9 months (April 6, 2026)
- For all other farms: 9 months (April 7, 2025)
Registration
The May 20 webinar is a virtual event. Registration is free and will be open through the day of the webinar. Persons interested in attending the public meeting must register at: FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Webinar
If you have questions about the final rule that you wish to submit for possible discussion during the webinar, please note them during registration. All questions must be received by May 15, 2024, to be considered for discussion.
May 5, 2024 Kate Brown
Beat the Heat: Tools for Evaluating Heat Risk
Heat safety tool phone app created by OSHA and NIOSH.
As the weather warms up, prepare yourself to evaluate the heat risk for outdoor tasks. We often use a weather application on our phone to check the daily high and low temperature, but air temperature alone is not sufficient to evaluate heat risk. Heat index is a more appropriate measurement because it combines the effects of air temperature and humidity to indicate the level of discomfort felt by the average person.
One easy way to check the heat index is the Heat Safety Tool phone app (see photo) developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The app calculates heat index at your specific site and displays the risk level to outdoor workers. It also provides insight into protective measures for the given risk level. This mobile phone app is available for both Android and iPhone.
A similar, web-based tool is the HeatRisk website created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The HeatRisk homepage has a color-coded map to indicate today’s heat risk (no risk to extreme risk) for each county in the U.S. You can also enter your zip code to get the daily and 5-day forecasted heat risk for your site plus corresponding actions to reduce heat-related health risks.
Stay tuned for weekly posts on how beat the heat this summer!
April 29, 2024 Tess Stahl
Effective today, 4/29/2024: USDA Federal Order on testing and reporting Influenza A in cattle
Please see the attached memo from Dr. Amar Patil, DVM, MVSc, Ph.D., Diplomate ACVM, Director of the Division of Animal Health/State Veterinarian: Federal Order Influenza A in Cattle Memo April 27, 2024
This order includes specific requirements regarding the testing of lactating cows for Bovine Influenza A Virus (H5N1) before interstate movement. New Jersey dairy producers needing pre-movement testing should contact their attending veterinarian to arrange for sample collection, which must occur no more than seven (7) days before interstate movement. The test sample required from lactating dairy cattle is milk/udder secretions from each quarter per individual cow (ensure each quarter is sampled, as there have been reports of only one quarter having the virus), which is then combined into one sample tube (a total volume of 3-10 ml of milk per animal should be submitted). The samples can be submitted to the NJDA Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (AHDL), a USDA-approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory. Samples submitted to the NJDA AHDL will be tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for influenza A, which will be completed at no cost to the producers/veterinarians. Influenza A testing for interstate dairy cattle movement is an additional requirement to the preexisting livestock importation regulations in New Jersey, N.J.A.C. 2:3 Livestock and Poultry Importation. Persons moving dairy cattle are reminded that these requirements are in addition to the official identification, certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI), and testing requirements conventionally required for cattle movement. Please consult the receiving state to confirm all other interstate movement requirements prior to affecting an animal’s movement.
Listed below are particularly important aspects of the Federal Order and USDA guidance.
Mandatory Testing for Interstate Movement of Dairy Cattle:
- Prior to interstate movement, non-clinical lactating dairy cows are required to receive a negative test for Influenza A virus at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory in addition to meeting the importing state’s testing requirements and a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI).
- Non-clinical lactating dairy cows moving interstate direct to slaughter do not require influenza A testing but require a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI).
- Non-clinical lactating dairy cows moving interstate through auction markets in New Jersey to out-of-state slaughter do not require influenza A testing but require a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI).
- Non-clinical lactating dairy cows moving interstate to auction market in another state require influenza A testing and a certificate of veterinary inspection.
- Nonlactating dairy cattle, including bull calves, dry cows, and heifers; and beef cattle are exempt from Influenza A testing for interstate movement.
- Movement tests are valid for seven (7) days from the date of sample collection.
- For imported cattle attending a New Jersey Fair/Show, Influenza A testing is required for lactating dairy cattle in addition to meeting requirements in the 2024 fair and show letter.
- Owners of herds in which dairy cattle test positive for interstate movement will be required to provide epidemiological information, including animal movement tracing.
- Sick cattle are not eligible for movement. Dairy cattle herds that have tested positive for influenza A must wait 30 days and retest negative to be eligible for movement.
Mandatory Reporting: Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A detection diagnostic results in livestock to USDA APHIS.
NJ Depts of Agriculture & Environmental Protection Allow Controlled Open Burning to Protect Crops
(Trenton) [On April 20, w]ith the state expected to experience cooler spring temperatures, the Department of Environmental Protection has agreed with NJDA Secretary Ed Wengryn’s request to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect flowering crops from damage beginning today, April 20, through Saturday, April 27.
Temperatures are expected to drop to the 30s or below tonight with varying winds through portions of the state. These expected temperatures follow warm temperatures in recent days. Damage from freezing weather now can significantly reduce yields of certain fruits and vegetables that are in the flowering stage.
The DEP and Department of Agriculture are allowing these steps to protect farmers’ livelihoods and to ensure that consumers will be able to enjoy an ample supply of Jersey produce later this year.
The DEP intends to exercise its authority and discretion under the Air Pollution Control Code, N.J.A.C. 7:27, et seq., and other applicable authorities to permit the following procedure for open burning or the use of smudge pots to assist farmers to protect their crops in low temperatures.
Farmers who believe they will need to conduct open burns and/or use smudge pots must provide notice to the DEP’s 24-hour Communications Center at 1-877- WARNDEP (1-877-927-6337).
Notification to DEP does not require the implementation of either technique but ensures proper procedures are followed should they become necessary.
If a farmer does not call DEP in advance but uses either technique, the farmer must notify DEP by 9 a.m. the following day. The farmer will be asked which technique was used.
Farmers must record the incident number provided to them by the Communications Center. The following information is to be provided:
- Name of the individual making the decision to conduct the open burning/use of smudge pots and name of the farm.
- Actual street address of the farm on which either technique will be used (no P.O. Boxes).
- Telephone number of a contact at the farm.
- Predicted temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) at the agricultural operation when the technique will be used.
- Wind speed anticipated when the technique will be used.
- Predicted hours of open burning and/or use of smudge pots.
- Materials expected to be burned.
- At the time of the initial call to the Communications Center, farmers will be given an email address and incident number.
Within two days, they must submit to DEP via this email address the following information:
- The DEP Communications Center incident number.
- Ambient temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) at the time the technique was used.
- Actual wind speed at the orchard at the time the technique was used.
- A statement verifying that all restrictions in the open burning or use of smudge pots were followed.
- The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Forest Fire Service caution all farmers and agriculture businesses with respect to the use of open burning in high wind velocity conditions. Please take note that farmers are encouraged to utilize smudge pots for warming as necessary during higher wind conditions. Use of open burning when wind velocity is greater than 5 mph is strictly prohibited, may contribute to wildfire risk, and can carry significant penalties.
- Smudge pots must be fueled only with either kerosene or No. 2 fuel oil.
- Open burning can consist only of either the following materials: clean and untreated scrap lumber, felled trees, clippings pruned from trees and shrubs, hedgerows, or firewood. Absolutely no refuse, trade waste, tires or garbage of any type may be added to the authorized open burning material.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Forest Fire Service caution all farmers and agriculture businesses with respect to the use of open burning in high wind velocity conditions. Please take note that farmers are encouraged to utilize smudge pots for warming as necessary during higher wind conditions. Use of open burning when wind velocity is greater than 5 mph is strictly prohibited, may contribute to wildfire risk, and can carry significant penalties.
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To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA1 and @JerseyFreshNJDA.
