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 24, 2023 and

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Changes to Audit Costs

USDA has just announced that proposed audit fees for the Harmonized and GAP/GHP audits will increase to $155 per hour. The average Harmonized Audit runs anywhere from 12 to 15 hours, GAP/GHP audits average 5 to 10 hours. The current fee is $132 per hour. For anyone who needs an audit try to schedule before October 1, 2023 when the new rates take effect.  For further information or discuss the proposed increases contact:  Melissa Bailey, Associate Administrator, AMS, USDA, Room 2036–S, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250; telephone (202) 205–9356, or email melissa.bailey@usda.gov.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 17, 2023

Fruit and Vegetable Grower Feedback Needed on Produce Safety Costs, Needs, and Barriers

Time is running out to give feedback. We would like to ensure that there is good representation from all types of growers across the country so please share this announcement across your grower networks. Below is a table summarizing response numbers by state so you can see how your state is represented.

 

The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Team and personnel from the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) at the University of Vermont would like to understand the costs and the barriers of beginning or expanding food safety practices on farms and in packinghouses to make educational materials more relevant to fruit and vegetable growers and packers. To do this, we have developed a survey to collect food safety information from fruit and vegetable growers across the country.

What are the Goals of this Survey?

To understand:

·        what steps growers have taken toward adopting food safety practices on their farm,

·        the costs of adopting food safety practices (both one-time and reoccurring), and

·        where growers have questions about food safety.

Why Should You Participate?

The detailed information that is provided will allow future educational materials to be tailored to specific challenges that growers are facing.

Who Should Participate?

We are looking for feedback from people involved in fruit and vegetable production and packing, including those who have and who have not adopted food safety practices. This survey should be completed by someone who has knowledge about the operation’s produce safety practices (e.g., equipment, finances, supplies, training, market distribution, third-party audits).

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. It will take 10 – 30 minutes to complete the survey, depending on the farms’ food safety practices.

By completing this survey, you can choose to be entered into a raffle to win a $75 prepaid credit card. Ten participants will randomly be selected to win. The raffle will be held when the survey closes, approximately June 1st. If selected, you will be contacted to confirm your mailing address and acknowledge acceptance of the $75 prepaid credit card.

Direct link to the English-language survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_agW9o6VWOUCivCC

Direct link to the Spanish-language survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_agW9o6VWOUCivCC?Q_Language=ES
Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 17, 2023

Application for Cost-Share Grant Funding for Installation of Deer Fencing on UNPRESERVED Farmland – Out NOW

“The NJDA Deer Fencing Program makes cost-sharing funding available for the installation of deer fencing on unpreserved farms. The program is conducted in accordance with N.J.S.A 4:40-6.1.”

Please click here for the full application, eligibility, and other important information

Timing is important if considering this program. NJDA began accepting applications on 5/15/23.

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
April 30, 2023

North Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting I

North Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting I

May 3, 2023

5:00 PM-7:30 PM

Melicks Town Farm
19 King Street Oldwick, New Jersey 08858

5:00 PM – Registration / Light Refreshments

5:15 PM –Begin to load into wagons for the farm tour and educational talks

5:20 PM –Updates from the Blueberry and Tree Fruit IPM program

Carrie Manuse, Agriculture and Natural Resources Sr. Program Coordinator
Kaitlin Quinn, North Jersey Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of
Hunterdon County

5:40 PM –Apple Fruit Rots

Norm Lalancette PhD, Associate Specialist in Tree Fruit Plant Pathology Rutgers NJAES

6:10 PM –Vegetable Insect Pest and Disease Updates

Kris Holmstrom, IPM Program Associate, Vegetable

6:30 PM – Pesticide Safety, and Compliance

Patricia Hastings, Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator for Rutgers NJAES

The following pesticide credits will be awarded

2 CORE   2 CAT 1A   3 CAT 10   2 CAT PP2

Please RSVP to Kim Crommelin at 908.788.1338 or kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us by May 2, 2023

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, pesticide credits, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops
April 18, 2023

Your Input Needed on Preharvest Water use in Produce

Do you irrigate produce?Survey link
Have questions about Subpart E or agricultural water?

The On-Farm Food Safety Team is involved in a national survey to find out:

  • Does the produce industry understand the rule?
  • What areas of the rule are still unclear to the industry.
  • How preharvest water is used and treated on farms across the U.S.

This survey will help us get a better understanding of what you know and how extension educators can assist the industry. Please take a few minutes and fill out the survey by clicking on the image to the right.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
April 10, 2023

NJ Department of Environmental Protection Issues Burn Permit for Frost Protection – Through April 14

(TRENTON) – With the state expected to experience colder spring temperatures, the Department of Environmental Protection has agreed with NJ Dept of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher’s request to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect crops from damage beginning Friday, April 7, through Friday, April 14.

These cold events could adversely affect some of the fruit, vegetable, and floriculture crops.

Note: The NJDEP 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 is warming as necessary during higher wind conditions. Use of open burning when wind velocity is greater than 5mph is strictly prohibited, may contribute to wildfire risk, and can carry significant penalties. [Read more…]

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