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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October 1, 2021

Postharvest Equipment Cleaning and Sanitizing Twilight Meeting 11/17/21

The On-Farm Food Safety Team will hold twilight meeting at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Bridgeton focusing on the cleaning and sanitation of postharvest equipment.

Topics to be covered:
Cleaning Packing Equipment
Difference Between Cleaning & Sanitizing
Sanitary Design of Packing Lines
Different products to use for monitoring pH and sanitizer concentration
Cleaning Harvest Equipment

Who should attend:
Fruit Growers
Vegetable Growers
Others interested in produce safety
Extension Education
Departments of Agriculture

Visit our upcoming trainings website for more information and to register.

Twilight Meeting

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Vegetable Crops
September 20, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccines Still Available For Farmworkers

At the request of the New Jersey Departments of Health and Agriculture, please read the following message:

Our offices are working diligently to ensure that all farmworkers are protected against COVID-19 for the fall season – to that end, we have developed a new survey to assess the migrant and seasonal farm worker population for the fall and to identify focus areas for COVID-19 vaccination support. We would greatly appreciate if you could please fill out the survey here (even if all your workers are already vaccinated for COVID-19): http://healthsurveys.nj.gov/NoviSurvey/n/zz2q2.aspx. Any information you provide will be confidential and used solely for supporting COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Additionally, if any of your workers are not yet vaccinated for COVID-19 and are interested in receiving a vaccine, please feel free to contact Omolola Taiwo, Ph.D,  MPA, Executive Director, Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Division of Community Health Services, New Jersey Department of Health, at njmsfw@doh.nj.gov.  Our team will ensure that you are connected with the appropriate resources to keep your workforce healthy.

Thank you for your support in keeping our farm communities safe and healthy!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
September 20, 2021

Secretary Fisher Message on Vaccine Survey

A message from Secretary Douglas Fisher:

We are reaching out regarding COVID-19 vaccination support for you and your farmworkers. We are working to ensure that all farmworkers are protected against COVID-19 as we head into the fall season – to that end, if any of your workers are not yet vaccinated for COVID-19 and are interested in receiving a vaccine, please fill out this survey. We will be happy to connect you with the appropriate resources to keep your workforce healthy.

Additionally, if your entire workforce has been vaccinated, we would still appreciate if you could please fill out the survey  Any information you provide will be confidential and used solely for supporting COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Thank you for your support in keeping our farm communities safe and healthy!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
September 20, 2021

Cleaning and Sanitizing Grading Equipment Grower Meeting

Join us on October 7th from 4-6pm at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 121 Northville Rd., Bridgeton, NJ 08302) for a hands-on grower meeting that will cover: how to assess washing and packing equipment; differences of sanitization products; and how to monitor pH and sanitizer concentrations.  We will be demonstrating a new packing line obtained through a grant from NJDA and the Food and Drug Administration.

The program is free, but please register by October 4th at http://rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com.  Ten people must register to hold this event.  As per Rutgers policy, masks will be required during the entire meeting since it is inside.  If you do not have a mask, one will be provided, and hand sanitizers will be available.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
September 16, 2021

Help Evaluate New Farm Safety “Tailgate Trainings”

Injury Prevention

Preview of the “Ground Level Slips, Trips and Falls” Tailgate Training sheet

The Northeast Ag Safety and Health Coalition is looking for farmers willing to field-test and evaluate their new set of “Tailgate Trainings” – short, simple, training sessions that a farm owner or manager can use with a small group of workers. The trainings are designed to be done with small groups, anywhere, and promote retention of material. Topics of the current “tailgate” training sheets include 1) Ground Level Slips, Trips, and Falls, 2) Cattle Handling, and 3) Tractor Side-Overturn.

If you are willing to participate, the Coalition requests that farmers or managers conduct one training session with workers using the provided “tailgate” training sheet. Once the training session is complete, you are asked to fill out a very brief (5 question) evaluation form and mail it back to the Coalition. All material and postage paid/self-addressed return envelopes will be provided (to return the evaluation form).

If you are interested, please email Kate Brown kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu with the following information by October 1, 2021.

  • Farm Name
  • Mailing Address
  • Requested training sheet(s) [see topics 1, 2, and 3 above]

Your time and participation in this project would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
September 10, 2021

New round of pandemic assistance application opens Sept 23rd

USDA has announced a new program, called Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program.

“The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program provides grants to food processors, distributors, farmers markets, and producers to respond to coronavirus, including for measures to protect workers against novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID–19). This program is authorized and funded under section 751 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116—260). USDA developed the PRS Grant Program in response to extensive stakeholder feedback during listening sessions in March 2021, and written comments provided through March 30, 2021. Information from the listening sessions is available online at: www.ams.usda.gov/services/ams-covid-stimulus.

Important Dates:
Application Period Opens: September 23, 2021
Application Period Closes: 11:59 PM Eastern Time on November 8, 2021

All applications submitted before the deadline will be considered for funding. Applications will not be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.” – Pandemic Response and Safety Grant website.

Follow this link for eligibility: https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda?id=usda_eligibility_info

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops