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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Virtual and In-Person Credit Meetings this October – Rutgers Horticulture Plant Health Educational Series

We invite ALL horticulture professionals (nursery, greenhouse, Christmas tree, vegetable, row crops, fruit, turf management, arborist, landscape professionals, etc.) to attend the following educational sessions surrounding overall plant health topics, pest management principals, and pesticide use and safety considerations. The events on Thursday October 10th and Tuesday October 15th will be virtual (& free), and Tuesday October 22nd will be in-person ($30 fee) at the Cumberland County RCE building (see below).

The virtual courses will count as in-person credits so long as you follow these instructions

  • MUST have a live video feed (and are visible the entire time), upload a government issued photo ID —AND— NJ Pesticide license prior to the meeting (1 time for both 10/10 and 10/15) via a secure Rutgers Connect folder (follow directions below, only the agents will have access to information for verification), and participate in all poll questions.
  • MUST – UPLOAD Gov ID —AND— Pesticide License HERE – PRIOR TO MEETING (1 time for the whole series)
    • “Last name_ First_ Photo ID” AND “Last name_ First_ Pesticide License”
    • If you click on the photo ID upload link using a smart phone/tablet you will have the option of simply taking a photo of your IDs and uploading them directly into the system. Otherwise, you can scan a copy of your photo ID into a computer and follow the directions at the upload link. Please contact twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu if you are having trouble with this and we will assist you.

Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe.  Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training series. 

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October 10th (TH) – virtual:

5:30-6:00pm: Login and ID verification: 5:30 – 6:00pm, (Poll #1 at 6:00pm)

6:00 – 7:00PM: Beech Leaf Disease & Experimental Treatment Options – Jean Epiphan RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each PP2, 2, 3A, 6B, 8C, 9, 10

7:15-8:15PM: How Chemicals Work and Which to Use – Tim Waller RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each – CORE, 1A, 3A, 3B, 6B, 8C, 10, PP2

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October 15th (TU) – virtual:

5:30-6:00pm: Login and ID verification: 5:30 – 6:00pm, (Poll #1 at 6:00pm)

6:00 – 7:00PM: Root Disease Management in Plants – Tim Waller RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each – PP2, 1A, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, 10

7:15-8:15PM: Designing a Pesticide Regime – Tim Waller RCE

  • Credits obtained: 2 each – PP2, 1A, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, 10

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October 22nd (TU) – IN-PERSON (Cumberland County RCE – 291 Morton Ave. Millville, NJ 08332)

5:30-6:00pm: Arrival and sign in.

6:00 – 8:15PM: Horticultural Plant Health – CORE 101– Tim Waller RCE

Credits obtained: 4 each – CORE, 1A, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, PP2

  • Note for this in-person event (10/22/24) there is a $30.00 fee per participant. Only checks or cash will be accepted at the start of the event. Please make checks payable to “Rutgers the State Univ. of NJ”. Pre-registration is encouraged.
  • Registration: By phone – Cumberland County RCE Office: 856-451-2800, EXT 1, or walk-in (but be early, session will begin on-time).

October Twilight Meeting

October Twilight Meeting

October 17, 2024
7:00PM – 9:00 PM

Cape May Winery
711 Townbank Road. Cape May, NJ  08204

Program

6:45 PM:  Registration / Light Refreshments

7:00 PM: Welcome – Claudia Gil Arroyo, Cape May County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES

 7:10 PM: Soil Health is Always a Good Investment
William Errickson, Monmouth County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES

7:40 PM:  IPM for specialty crops in New Jersey including tree fruit crops, small fruits, and vegetables.
Janine Spies, Statewide Program Leader in Fruit IPM, County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES

8:10 PM:  Pesticide safety, non-hazardous pest control methods, label literacy and how to avoid the 3 most common violations.
Spencer Kerkhof, Environmental Specialist I, Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement; NJDEP

8:45 PM:  Labor availability and Labor regulations that impact agriculture
Ben Casella, New Jersey Farm Bureau

 

Light refreshments will be served.

The following pesticide recertification credits will be awarded: CORE (1), 1A (1), 10 (1), PP2 (1)

Please RSVP by October 15, 2024:
Jocelyn Shillingford
609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu

Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC

Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC
Thursday September 19th, 2024
4 pm until dark

Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC)
121 Northville Road
Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302

This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will continue to showcase new agricultural technologies for stakeholders in the state. We will showcase the newly operating agrivoltaics system with specialty crops (fresh-market tomatoes, bell pepper, and eggplant) and soybeans growing beneath them and discuss new technologies for autonomous weeding. Specialists will also discuss their research and provide updates on fiber hemp, Christmas trees, native plants, invasive fruit pests, and vegetable disease.

Speakers:

Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE Nursery Agent. “Nursery and Ornamental Research: Christmas Tree Pathology Studies and Native Plant Demonstrations”

Dan Ward, Director, RAREC. “Agrivoltaics for NJ: Progress and Promise”

Raul Cabrera, Extension Specialist in Nursery Production and Management. “Fiber Hemp and Weeds”

Ann Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Entomology. “Incorporating Insect Behavior into Management of Invasive Fruit Pests”

Thierry Besancon, Extension Weed Specialist for Specialty Crops. “Update on new technologies for weed management in sweet corn”

Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology. “Updates on vegetable disease control”

 

The Public and their Animals on Your Farm: What Can You and Can’t You Ask?

As we head into the fall agritourism season you may want to revisit the types of questions you can and can’t ask the public when they arrive at your farm with a service animals, pets, and comfort animals. For more suggestions on how to legally handle communications and guidance for customers with animals on your farm visit our previous PPA post on the topic.

What questions can you legally ask?
If you find yourself in a situation where would like to determine if the animal is a true service animal, you may ask just two questions.
1) Is the service animal required because of a disability?
2) What work or task has the service animal been trained to perform?

What questions are you legally prevented from asking?
1) You may not ask about the persons disability.
2) You may not ask for proof of the persons disability.
3) You may not ask for documentation or proof that the service animal is trained.
4) You may not ask for an animal health certificate.

The Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety team developed a Q&A factsheet as well as signage that can be posted at the farm or presented to your customers.

 

Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC

Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC
Thursday September 19th, 2024
4 pm until dark

Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC)
121 Northville Road
Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302

This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will continue to showcase new agricultural technologies for stakeholders in the state. We will showcase the newly operating agrivoltaics system with specialty crops (fresh-market tomatoes, bell pepper, and eggplant) and soybeans growing beneath them and discuss new technologies for autonomous weeding. Specialists will also discuss their research and provide updates on fiber hemp, Christmas trees, native plants, invasive fruit pests, and vegetable disease.

Speakers:

Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE Nursery Agent. “Nursery and Ornamental Research: Christmas Tree Pathology Studies and Native Plant Demonstrations”

Dan Ward, Director, RAREC. “Agrivoltaics for NJ: Progress and Promise”

Raul Cabrera, Extension Specialist in Nursery Production and Management. “Fiber Hemp and Weeds”

Ann Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Entomology. “Incorporating Insect Behavior into Management of Invasive Fruit Pests”

Thierry Besancon, Extension Weed Specialist for Specialty Crops. “Update on new technologies for weed management in sweet corn”

Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology. “Updates on vegetable disease control”

 

The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program launches a new website

The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program is a multidisciplinary group of Rutgers faculty and staff committed to designing and conducting applied agrivoltaics research and outreach for stakeholders in New Jersey and throughout the region.

The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program (RAP) was initiated over 3 years ago with the signing and passage of the Dual Use Solar Act by the New Jersey legislature. In 2023, Agrivoltaics research installations were established at three Rutgers-New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Stations (NJAES). One at the Clifford E. and Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown, NJ; one at the Animal Farm on the Rutgers New Brunswick (SEBS) Campus, and one at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC) near Bridgeton, NJ. Members of the Rutgers RAP Team in collaboration the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, NJ Department of Agriculture, and NJ-DEP are now in the process of implementing the Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program.

The agrivoltaics research at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC) near Bridgeton, New Jersey has been designed to study the effects of agrivoltaic (AV) systems on the production of specialty crops and soybeans. This year eggplant, pepper, fresh-market tomatoes, and soybeans are being grown under three three different treatments: single-axis tracking array with one row of panels, single-axis tracking array with two rows of panels, and no panels (conventional production as a control) to determine the effects caused by the presence of the panels on specialty crop and soybean plant growth and yield.

At the Clifford E. and Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown, NJ the effects of a single-axis tracking array with one row of panels on hay production is being studied.

At the Rutgers SEBS Campus Animal Farm in New Brunswick, New Jersey, which hosts equine and livestock facilities, the AV research has been designed to study pasture forage production and animal grazing patterns in combination with vertical bifacial solar panels.

For more information on the Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program and more AV resources please visit the new website by clicking here. Stakeholders interested in keeping up the what’s going on can now subscribe to the new website and have information send directly to their email account. Just go to our contact page and follow the instructions to subscribe! 

The Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program in collaboration with the American Farmland Trust will be holding upcoming workshops for those stakeholders in New Jersey interested in learning more. Please click here for more information on these upcoming events.