If you downloaded the RCE irrigation pump log sheet posted here last fall, and you haven’t sent in your water use report yet, you have until Wed to calculate your monthly water use and submit it to NJ DEP. Keeping a hard copy of the log sheet by each well makes a simple way to record actual water use, but tallying the monthly and annual totals will take one more step. [Read more…]
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.
February 23, 2018
New Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Website!
Visit the new Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website for information on Good Agricultural Practices, the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, and USDA Third Party Audits. Information can also be found on upcoming on-farm food safety workshops, publications and resources to help you understand and implement on-farm food safety practices.
February 22, 2018
Still Time to Register for North Jersey Commercial Vegetable and/or Tree Fruit Meetings
Morris County Agent Peter Nitzsche and Hunterdon County Agent Megan Muehlbauer indicate there is still limited time to register for two upcoming educational events they are hosting at the Hunterdon County Complex in Flemington:
What: North Jersey Commercial Vegetable Grower Meeting
When: February 27, 2018
Where: Hunterdon County Complex, Flemington, NJ
For Program & Registration Details go to https://events.rutgers.edu/pdfs/North_Jersey_Commercial_Vegetable_Growers_Meeting_2018.pdf
What: North Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting
When: March 6, 2018
Where: Hunterdon County Complex, Flemington, NJ
For Program & Registration Details go to https://events.rutgers.edu/pdfs/NorthJerseyFruitMeeting_Program_2018.pdf
NJ & PA PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED FOR THESE PROGRAMS
February 13, 2018
Robots in the Field – Online Videos Illustrate Automation from Seedling Production through Harvesting
When asked for the links to some of the videos I shared in this presentation at the 2018 NJ Agricultural Convention, I found that I had only included about half of the videos that illustrated my talk in the Proceedings book which will be available on the NJ Veg Crops Online Resources site shortly. What follows is the amended version of that abstract with all of the (complete) video links and/or company websites that I mentioned. It’s ‘complete’ now because I had used only small portions of many of these videos that are online, so you’ll have much more content to view than what you would have seen in my talk. [Read more…]
January 30, 2018
Be Counted – 2017 Ag Census Includes Questions On Value-Added Sales & Agritourism
Bruce Eklund, NJ State Statistician for the U.S.D.A’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, shared this reminder to please complete the Census of Agriculture by Feb 5, and
for winery operators, direct marketers and other value-added and agritourism operations, be sure to pay attention to a few special questions:
- Include wine and other value-added product sales under (Section 24) Practices (Item 2);
- Other Income From Farm-Related Sources (Section 32) includes Agri-tourism (Item 4); and
- Production Expenses (Section 30) are important as it shows this contribution from agriculture to the general economy.
With the once every five year census started, your participation is important to accurately represent the New Jersey’s specialty crop industries. USDA/NASS mailed 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture questionnaires to known farmers in December.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, or if you may have been overlooked, please call 1-888-424-78288 or 717-787-3904, or visit https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/, where you you can complete the survey online. Growers who have already completed the survey online format found that it saved time!
Remember that individual responses to the Census of Agriculture are required to be kept confidential by law, and only aggregate data are used for publication. Census results are important in showing the economic impact and significance of agriculture for your County, your Congressional District, and New Jersey. Agricultural advocates will use your combined information to inform decision makers and the public about the importance of agriculture.
More information on the Ag Census is available at:
http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/press/2017/approved/press171206.html
and… https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Partners/index.php.
Please help by reminding your neighbors and thank you for taking the time to be counted.
January 29, 2018
Ultra-Niche Crops Series: Pick Your Own Blueberries
Have a small plot of land? Want to diversify? New to farming?
Learn how to grow, market and sell Pick-Your-Own blueberries and make more money on less land!
Join us on Thursday, February 22, 2018 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 Pick-Your-Own blueberries is right for you. Dinner will be served at 5:30. Pesticide recertification credits available for all Ultra-Niche Classes. Purchase tickets online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ultra-niche-crops-pick-your-own-blueberries-tickets-38006277800
Three locations available: Please select location of choice when buying tickets.
• Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, 355 Court House/So. Dennis Road (Route 657), Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
• 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 February 16, 2018 at 5:00 pm.
