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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June 24, 2021

New Jersey Farmland Preservation Seeking New Applications for State Acquisition Program

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher recently announced that the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program is accepting new applications for farm owners wishing to permanently preserve their land. The State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), the agency that administers the program, is accepting new applications through its State Acquisition Program in which landowners coordinate directly with the SADC office to preserve their farms.

If you are interested in exploring preservation, the SADC acquisition regional coordinators are ready to help.

  • Stefanie Miller (covers Hunterdon county) stefanie.miller@ag.nj.gov
  • Amy Mandelbaum (covers Atlantic, Cape May, Burlington, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Camden, Gloucester counties) amy.mandelbaum@ag.nj.gov
  • Katie Mazzella (covers Salem, Cumberland counties) katie.mazzella@ag.nj.gov
  • Rachel DeFlumeri (covers Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Warren counties) rachel.deflumeri@ag.nj.gov.

You may also call the SADC’s main number at 609-984-2504 or visit the SADC’s website at www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmpreserve/.

 

Click to access 2021.6.21SADCAnnouncesSeekingDirectEasementApplicationsFINAL.pdf

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
June 23, 2021

COVID Delta Variant and NJ Agriculture

As the farming season progresses so does concern for the increased prevalence of the COVID Delta variant in the region.  We asked Don Schaffner, Extension Specialist, about the Delta variant and if we should be concerned about it.  If you or your farm workers are in need of a vaccine please email njfarmvax@njaes.rutgers.edu and an Extension team member will assist you with finding local vaccination locations and/or determine if an on-farm vaccine clinic is possible for your workers.  If you have questions about the vaccine visit the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Vaccine Education for Growers website for information in multiple languages.

Meredith Melendez: Are we seeing an increase in cases of the COVID Delta variant in New Jersey or the region?

Don Schaffner: Yes. According to CDC, Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) had only 3.1% of all infections due to the Delta variant for the week ending 5/22/21. This percentage had jumped to 17.7% week for the week ending 6/5/21. There are not further updates at this time.

Also according to the CDC in NJ 3.4% all infections were due to the Delta variant for the week ending 5/22/21. No further New Jersey specific updates are available at this time.

MM: How is the Delta variant different than the COVID cases we saw over the past year?

DS: There are a number of reasons why there is increased concern over the Delta variant. Epidemiological data shows that the variant has increased transmissibility (i.e. it is more easily spread from person to person) than the original strain. Estimates indicate that it is about 60% more transmissible. This means that for every one person infected by the original virus, on average for the same conditions the Delta variant would spread to about 1.6 people.

One of the ways of combating the virus once someone is infected is with monoclonal antibody treatments. There is evidence that the Delta variant is more resistant to this important treatment.

There is also evidence that the Delta virus is not as readily neutralized by post-vaccination sera. Sera contain the antibodies in people that are vaccinated.

MM: Are the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines as effective against the Delta variant?

DS: Yes.  The Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be about 60% effective against the delta variant. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 88% effective after the second dose (vs. over 90% for other variants). So while the vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant, it is still much better to be vaccinated than not.

MM: Why should someone get vaccinated now if they haven’t already?

DS: Unvaccinated individuals are vulnerable to all variants of the virus. These variants arise through the natural evolution when the virus replicates inside a sick person. Since the vaccines can stop some people from getting infected, the more people that are vaccinated the better control we will have over these variants and stop new variants from evolving.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Vegetable Crops
June 11, 2021

Montclair State Univ Seeking Participants for Survey on Farm Marketing Distribution Channels

Renata Blumberg, PhD, Associate Professor in the Dept of Nutrition & Food Studies at Montclair State University is conducting a survey of farmers who engage in direct-to-consumer marketing (farmers’ markets, CSA, etc.) about their distribution practices and any changes that have occurred since the start of the pandemic. [The survey also implies she wants to know if you’ve switched from wholesale to direct marketing methods over the past year as well.] The survey should take only about 20 minutes of your time.

To participate in the survey, please click here.

Please note that you must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the survey. There is also an incentive gift card if you participate.

This study has been approved by the Montclair State University Institutional Review Board (IRB- IRB-FY20-21-1996).

Dr. Blumberg thanks you in advance for your participation! 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
June 11, 2021

Gleanings from SM – CA Virtual Strawberry Field Day; Robots in the Field

From LinkedIn.com:

  • Surendra Dara, Entomology & Biologicals Advisor at UC Cooperative Extension, San Luis Obispo County, California, announced that registration is now open for the Virtual Strawberry Field Day on July 14. Please see the agenda at https://ucanr.edu/sites/PSU/files/352199.pdf and register at https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35066
  • TTS BV, a company from the Netherlands, posts videos of their TTS automatic transplanters on their website and shares on LinkedIn.com:  At TTS we care a lot about technology and innovation! ⁠Our robotsystem makes sure that you can plant several lines at once, up to at your own preferred distances and depth. ⁠⁠The can be combined with nearly all planting trays or even with your own existing toolbar, so no need for a lot of changes. See www.automatictransplanting.com for videos and photos highlighting their technologies, including a transplant ‘grabber’ similar to one invented right here by a Rutgers agriculture engineer 30+ years ago.
  • Back to CA, PlantTape Inc. <https://www.planttape.com/> also shares videos and stories on LinkedIn.com about their planting system that speeds up semi-automatic transplanting using paper-tape connected planting cells that slip into the ground at amazing speeds.

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Strawberry, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
June 10, 2021

Be Proactive, Keep Youth Safe on the Farm

How often do you say this: “do as I say, not as I do”?

The farm can be a fun, engaging, and nostalgic place to raise children; however, life on the farm comes with inherent risks that require certain precautions to make the farm a safe place for kids. The curious nature of children makes this especially difficult, as they often exhibit a lack of fear or a clear understanding of danger. According to the Children’s Safety Network, 42% of fatal injuries to youth on U.S. farms involve machinery and motor vehicles (e.g. tractors, ATVs, etc.) while another 16% of fatal injuries are due to drowning. As the school year comes to a close and your own children and grandchildren spend more time on the farm, use your actions and attitude to establish safety as a priority.

In addition to being a positive role model, make time to identify hazards around the farm and implement changes to improve safety. We have included some of these hazardous “hot spots” in the table below, along with recommendations for injury prevention.

Hazards for Children Recommendations to Prevent Injury
Workshops, chemical and grain storage areas Install gates, doors, or other locking systems to keep children out

Explain the meaning of warning signs around the farm

Clean and dispose of empty chemical containers

Establish designated safe play areas
Machinery and equipment Equipment should be turned off, disengaged, and inaccessible

Leave front end loaders and similar equipment in the down position

Lock vehicle cabs after use

Keep vehicle keys out of reach of children

Never allow children to play around machinery

Never allow children (or anyone) to be an extra rider on a tractor
Livestock Pens Only allow children to work with livestock under adult supervision

Secure livestock pens so children cannot wander into the area

 

If you’re looking for fun ways to talk with children about farm safety, check out this farm safety activity book created by the National Child Safety Council. The book includes games, puzzles, crafts, and more on a wide array of topics from livestock and tractor safety to first aid.

For more details on age-specific hazards, protective measures, and appropriate tasks for youth check out our NJAES factsheet titled “Farm Safety Tips for Children”.

Source: Brennan, M.F. and Brumfield, R.B. “FS937: Farm Safety Tips for Children.” Rutgers University, March 1999. https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.php?pid=FS937. Accessed on 10 June 2021.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
June 8, 2021

Needs Assessment Survey for RU Ready to Farm Beginner Farm Training Program

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Training Program-RU Ready to Farm is looking for input from beginner farmers on what types of subjects they would like to see covered. The 2022 season of RU Ready to Farm will feature in person workshops that are open to the general beginner farmer community, and the focus and content of these workshops will be designed according to community need and interest. If you have been farming for fewer than 10 years and would like to contribute to the development of this workshop series, the survey can be found here: RU Ready to Farm Needs Assessment. 

For more information about the RU Ready to Farm program, visit: https://rubeginnerfarmer.rutgers.edu/

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops