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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September 29, 2025

In-person CEU session – 10/20/25 – Cumberland Co. RCE

‘Core Pesticide Topics in Agriculture’ 
NJDEP Approved Credits [4 units each – CORE] [3 units each – PP2, 1A, 3A, 10] [1 unit each – 3B, 6B, 8C]

Register by calling (only): 856-451-2800 ext. 1

Date: 10/20/2025 (Monday)
Location: Rutgers Cooperative Extension – Cumberland County
Address: 291 Morton Ave. Millville, NJ 08332
Time: 5:30pm sign-in, 6:00-8:15pm lectures (please arrive prior to 6:00pm)
Cost: $30 fee per participant – only cash or checks will be accepted at the start of the event. Please make checks payable to “Rutgers The State Univ. of NJ”. Receipts will be available.
Seminars: (6-7pm) Back to Basics – Pesticide USE & (7:15-8:15pm) How Chemicals Work and Which to Use – Speaker: Tim Waller, PhD. 

 

Note: October 7th – Ornamental Twilight meeting has been postponed until Spring 2026

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, pesticide credits, Turf Tagged With: , , , ,
September 18, 2025

Webinar on Monday 9/22/26 from 12-1PM: Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions

According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations. This is due to the varied number of agricultural risks encountered by farmers and farm workers. Recent events in New Jersey have brought up concerns about farm equipment on public roads.

On Monday, September 22nd from 12:00PM-1:00PM EST, there will be a webinar on
“Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions”

Summary: Tractors and other large ag machines are spending more time on public roads than ever before. As farms expand and equipment grows in size, the risks on rural roadways continue to rise, not just for farmers but for the entire motoring public. This session will explore how design solutions, especially those connected to lighting and marking design standards, reduce collision risk. We’ll unpack crash data, examine discrepancies between federal and state requirements, and highlight recent NHTSA regulations that focus national attention on these issues. We’ll also explore new risks associated with trailering, longer transport routes, and the safety implications of the accelerating shift toward autonomous and robotic machinery.

Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe how changes in farm size, equipment design, and changes in rural communities contribute to increased roadway travel and higher collision risk.

*Explain the purpose and impact of consensus design standards and how alignment (or misalignment) with state regulations can influence roadway safety outcomes.

*Identify new roadway safety concerns tied to equipment trailering, larger machines, and longer travel distances across spread-out farm operations.

*Assess how automation and robotics in agriculture will introduce both new risks and promising safety solutions—and how policy, like California’s current occupational safety tractor rules, will shape their future use.

Intended audience: Farmers, policymakers, extension educators, engineers from equipment companies, law enforcement, clinicians, health professionals, agricultural association leaders, agribusiness professionals, insurance loss control/underwriters, vo-ag instructors, machinery dealers

Meet the Presenter: Dr. John Shutske, Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist and Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Register by first creating a free account on https://learning.agrisafe.org/register
And then using this link to register for the free webinar: https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/farm-equipment-hits-the-highway-growing-risks-and-smarter-solutions

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, training, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
September 15, 2025

Cover Crop Webinar Series Hosted by NECCC

The Northeast Cover Crops Council will host a fall webinar series. The webinars will take place from 12-1 pm on Wednesdays from October 1 to November 5, 2025. Click here to register for the series. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
September 11, 2025

NJDA Updates on HPAI: Cases in New Jersey this Year, and a Recommendation to Tighten Biosecurity before Fall Migration

State officials are urging backyard poultry owners to strengthen their biosecurity practices following a series of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detections across New Jersey earlier this year.

Between February and May 2025, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) confirmed HPAI at eight locations, including two backyard flocks in Salem and Atlantic counties, and six live bird markets. The virus, which is highly contagious and often fatal to domestic poultry, has also been found in wild birds across 16 counties, most recently in black vultures in Somerset County, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

As Fall migration season begins, state officials warn that interactions between wild birds and backyard flocks may increase, thus raising the risk of transmission. These interactions include: direct contact and/or the sharing of waterers, feeders, or swimming areas. This kind of direct exposure can be a potential source of disease transmission to domestic poultry, especially because HPAI can spread through contact with infected birds’ bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces like feeders, waterers, shoes, and equipment. Backyard poultry flocks in New Jersey are particularly at risk due to their smaller size and frequent exposure to wild birds or their droppings.

Strong biosecurity practices are key to protecting poultry from infection, and the NJDA is urging all poultry owners (including farms with multiple species, like poultry and ruminants) to stay vigilant and implement strict biosecurity protocols. Multi-species farms should evaluate and strengthen biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of cross-species disease transmission. Key biosecurity steps include securing housing against wildlife, reducing environmental attractants like standing water and uncovered feed, limiting human and equipment traffic, and regularly disinfecting surfaces and tools. Separate clothing and footwear for poultry care, or the use of disposable boot covers, is also recommended. The NJDOH also recommends wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling sick or dead birds. PPE can be obtained through a request to your local Rutgers Cooperative Extension county office.

The NJDA, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and other partners, continues to monitor and respond to the H5N1 threat. HPAI is a reportable disease, so suspected cases must be reported to the NJDA Division of Animal Health at 609-671-6400. For wild bird mitigation support, contact USDA Wildlife Services at 908-735-5654.

As a reminder, signs of HPAI in poultry include:

  • Sudden death
  • Reduced appetite or water intake
  • Coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge
  • Swelling around the eyes or face
  • Open-mouth breathing
  • Discolored combs or legs
  • Drop in egg production
  • Lethargy

For more information, including additional resources regarding biosecurity plans, please refer to the memo from Dr. Amar Patil, DVM, MVSc, Ph.D., Diplomate ACVM, Director of the Division of Animal Health/State Veterinarian: 2025 HPAI Letter to BYF Poultry Owners_SEPT

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock
September 8, 2025

Fall Vegetable Twilight Meeting on 9/18, Registration Closes 9/12

A fall vegetable twilight meeting will be held at Norz Hill Farm & Market, LLC., 120 S Branch Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844 (Somerset County) on Thursday, September 18. Registration is required and closes Friday, September 12.  To register, complete this registration form or call the RCE Somerset County office at 908-526-6293 ext. 4. 

AGENDA  

4:00 pm – 4:15 pm Welcome, load wagons, wagon ride to field  

 4:15 pm – 4:45 pm  Drone Seeding Winter Cover Crops into Pumpkin  

Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent , Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County  

 4:45 pm – 5:15 pm  Small Farm Robotic Equipment for Weed Control in Vegetable Production  

Thierry Besançon, Extension Specialist – Weed Science for Specialty Crops , Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station  

5:15 pm – 5:45 pm  Vegetable IPM Program Update  

Amanda Quadrel, Sr. Program Coordinator – Vegetable IPM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension  

5:45 pm – 6:15 pm  Update On Important Diseases in Vegetable Production  

Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist – Vegetable Pathology , Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station  

6:15 pm – 6:20 pm  Wagon ride to tent  

6:20 pm – 6:30 pm Meal of pizza and salad, provided by Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey  

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm  Worker Protection Standard: Checklist for Compliance  

Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent , Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County  

 

MEETING CO- SPONSORED BY THE VEGETABLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

Pesticide Recertification Credits approved: CORE (1), 1A (3), 10 (2), and PP2 (3) 

Questions? Email Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent with RCE Somerset County, at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Organic Production, pesticide credits, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
September 2, 2025

Updates from EPA for Pesticide Users on How to Navigate Mitigation Measures to Protect Endangered Species

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the availability of an online tool to help farmers and applicators implement mitigation measures to protect endangered species from pesticides. The mitigation measures were established to reduce exposure from pesticides for nontarget organisms as listed under the Endangered Species Act. Levels of mitigation that are required on pesticide labels can include mitigations for spray drift, runoff, and buffer zones. In April 2025, EPA released a mitigation menu website that includes information on these measures and how to calculate if a pesticide user has incorporated the number of “points” associated with the mitigation measures required by the pesticide labelling. It is the responsibility of the pesticide user to ensure that all pesticide labelling requirements are met, and requirements will vary among labels and products used.

The new tool released by EPA, the Pesticide App for Label Mitigations (PALM) is a mobile application that helps farmers and pesticide users use the EPA’s mitigation menu and stay compliant when applying pesticides for agricultural crop uses. The tool will combine relevant information and calculations needed to help farmers determine whether the necessary level of mitigation has been met before applying a pesticide.

If you are interested in learning more about the mitigation menu and available tools, the EPA will be hosting a public webinar on September 16th at 2 PM Eastern Time. Register here for the webinar.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape