Did you know that according to the 2019 State Agriculture Overview for NJ, 3,900 acres of peaches yielded 5/tons per acre at a value of over $25.6 million dollars? Or that 3,500 acres of peppers were harvested in 2019, with a value of $45.8 million dollars? Or that 9,300 acres of harvested blueberries were valued at $85.3 million dollars in 2019? And in 2018, NJ ranked 4th nationwide in cranberry and peach production, and third in bell peppers?
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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Hackettstown Livestock Auction Results for July 14, 2020
This auction sells: lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl. Auctions are held every Tuesday with the first sale beginning at 10:30 am and ending with the last sale at 5:30 pm. Hay, straw, grain, and firewood are also for sale.
Hackettstown Livestock Auction
Farm Fresh Eggs available for purchase by the case (30 doz.) or by the flat (2&1/2 doz.) in the main office Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. Also available some Monday’s and Friday’s but please call office first (908)-852-0444.
Click for auction results:
Hackettstown Livestock Auction Results for July 14, 2020
NJ Ag & Health Urge Use of Free COVID-19 Testing For Farm Workers
Earlier this week, NJ Secretary of Ag Douglas Fisher released this attached letter, co-signed by Dept of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, urging all growers with farm labor to take advantage of opportunities to help protect your employees from COVID-19.
As the letter states,
“One program that is being implemented FREE OF CHARGE for all farms is a COVID-19 testing and education program through Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and local health departments. Along with free testing, the program provides education and other related support services. [Read more…]
UPDATE – NJ Motor Vehicle Commission: Changes and Extensions, Effective July 9th
With all the difficulties customers faced with NJMVC service centers opening on July 7th, changes have been made in the processes when visiting facilities. Also, note some centers will have Saturday hours and the state has taken some NJMVC employees of furloughs to service the public. Check the NJMVC website for hours, what services are offered at certain centers, and updated information. Below are some changes and further extensions:
1. Each morning, when opening, the NJMVC facilities will establish the total number of customers that each agency can serve that day, based on that agency’s size, staffing, and previous day’s performance. Tickets will be given out up to that number (and based on priority reason for coming to MVC – SEE NUMBER 3 below), then remaining customers not given a ticket will be required to leave the premises. As soon as capacity is met at a facility, MVC will publish if the site is filled to capacity on their website and social media.
2. People will not be allowed to sign up to wait on MVC property after capacity is reached until the next morning at 7:00 AM.
3. New drivers will be given preference at Licensing Centers. When staff go out to distribute tickets, the first tickets will be given to those who have completed requirements for a new permit or license. Already-licensed drivers (who will be able to drive under the extension) will be served after all new drivers have been served.
The following documents, if expiring between March 1 and May 31, have been extended to September 30, 2020. If expiring between June 1 and August 31, they have been extended to December 31, 2020.
• All standard driver licenses (including permits)
• Standard non-driver IDs
• Vehicle registrations
• Inspections
• Temporary tags
CDL Extensions
Expiration dates on commercial driver licenses (CDLs), commercial learner’s permits, and HAZMAT endorsements have been extended a second time, to September 30, 2020. This means expirations that were previously extended to June 30 have been extended for another three months. The extensions do not apply to documents that expired before March 1.
The extension also includes the Medical Certifications of CDL holders, as long as the medical certificates were for 90 days or more and expired after March 1.
The extensions mirror those issued recently by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees CDLs, and the federal Transportation Security Administration, which oversees Hazardous Materials endorsements (HAZMAT).
Many transactions can now be conducted online. Check out the NJMVC online services to see if you need to conduct business with NJMVC online.
All customers are required to wear face coverings when visiting an agency.
Gov. Murphy to Sign Order Requiring Outdoor Face Coverings
As reported at njbiz.com Wednesday morning, NJ Governor Phil Murphy has indicated he will be signing “an executive order mandating that masks or other face coverings be worn outdoors, as the COVID-19 virus surges across the country and the transmission rate creeps up in New Jersey.”
The state currently requires the use of face coverings indoors and at many outdoor businesses, and strongly encourages their use when in crowded public spaces, such as at the beach. The new order will require that masks will have to be worn outdoors when social distancing is not possible.
There are many outdoor operations around the farm. Be sure to plan accordingly with supplies of masks/face coverings for all agricultural workers and harvesters, in addition to planning all field work with adequate space for individuals to keep socially distanced.
For more information on keeping you, your workers and your family safe, be sure to read and implement the recommendations in NJ’s “INTERIM CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) GUIDANCE FOR MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARMWORKERS, THEIR EMPLOYERS, AND HOUSING PROVIDERS.”
Hackettstown Livestock Auction Results for July 7, 2020
This auction sells: lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl. Auctions are held every Tuesday with the first sale beginning at 10:30 am and ending with the last sale at 5:30 pm. Hay, straw, grain, and firewood are also for sale.
Hackettstown Livestock Auction
Farm Fresh Eggs available for purchase by the case (30 doz.) or by the flat (2&1/2 doz.) in the main office Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. Also available some Monday’s and Friday’s but please call office first (908)-852-0444.
Click on link for July 7, 2020 sale results: