The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed extending the deadline for the traceability rule (Section 204) under the Food Safety Modernization Act until July 2028. The rule was to go into effect in 2026, but FDA is allowing more time for the industry to comply based on the complexity of the rule. FDA will publish in the Federal Register the final notices for the extension in the near future. The extension only relates to implementation. There are no proposed changes to the rule itself.
On-Farm Food Safety Section
Keep up with the latest news on this dynamic topic that impacts growers on multiple levels. Developing a farm food safety plan is a good idea for all growers, and may be required as part of food safety audits if you sell to certain buyers.
View NJAES On-Farm Food Safety Essentials
August 6, 2025 Meredith Melendez
FSMA Produce Safety Rule Inspections Taking Place on all Covered Farms
Are you a produce farm who has not yet had a FSMA Produce Safety Rule inspection? Have you received communication from the NJ Department of Agriculture about the Produce Safety Rule? Smaller size produce operations are currently being inspected by the NJDA for FSMA PSR compliance. If you have not yet had an inspection you may be subject to one this season. Here is what you need to know:
If you grow and sell over $25,000 in produce annually you may be subject to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. The NJDA will contact your farm to ask several questions to understand if the rule pertains to you. What crops do you grow? How much in produce sales do you make on an average year? What percentage of your sales are made direct to consumer (farm stand, farmers market, CSA, direct to an individual grocery store, direct to an individual restaurant)? What are your total food sales (including any food for human and/or animal consumption including hay, grain, baked goods, meat, milk, honey, chewing gum, etc.) for an average year? You may have previously answered these questions via a survey that was mailed to you, or over the phone with NJDA staff.
The NJDA is currently scheduling inspections with farms across the state of all sizes. If you receive a phone call or email from the NJDA about a Produce Safety Inspection date, do not ignore the communication. The inspection will take place and warning letters can be sent to farms who are not in compliance with the rule.
Have questions about if your farm is exempt or qualified exempt from the rule? Visit our decision tool webpage to answer simple questions to better understand how the FSMA PSR impacts your farm. Remember that qualified exempt farms need to prove their exemption status, this can be done by using the qualified exempt review template on page 2 and 7 of the recordkeeping guidance from the Produce Safety Alliance.
Farms that need to comply with the rule are required to attend FDA approved training. The next training in NJ will be held online on December 9th and 10th. Other online trainings are available from other states, visit the Produce Safety Alliance website for more details. The Produce Safety Alliance offers a self-paced online course, accessible online. The approved training covers the Produce Safety Rule requirements and ways of complying with them.
July 15, 2025 Michelle Infante-Casella
Rutgers to Host Afternoon Cover Crops Field Day – August 5
Rutgers Cover Crops Field Day
*The program may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather*
Date: August 5, 2025
Time: 3:00PM to 6:00 PM
Where: Snyder Research Farm, 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867
REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
Please register by calling RCE of Sussex County: 973-948-3040
*First 20 registrants will receive a FREE copy of the USDA SARE book: “Managing Cover Crops Profitably”
This event will highlight several cover crop research projects and foster discussion and networking on drone use in agriculture and cover crop management.
Please join us for this summer event.
We will also discuss an upcoming drone pilot certification training we will be hosting this winter.
3:00 PM Registration and Welcome – Stephen Komar, ANR Agent /Rutgers SARE Coordinator
3:15 PM Go to the Field – Calibrating a Drone for Agricultural Applications – Adam Kyle, Warren Co. Com. College, Teaching Administrator, Precision Agriculture, Stephen Komar
4:00 PM Summer Cover Crop Planting Comparison: Drone vs. Drill – Bill Bamka, ANR Agent
4:30 PM Row Middle Cover Crops vs Herbicides for Weed Management in Vegetable Culture – Kate Brown, ANR Agent
RC&D Cover Crop Programs- Laura Tessieri, Executive Director, North Jersey RC&D
Drone Seeding Cover Crops into Pumpkins – Peter Nitzsche, ANR Agent
5:30 PM Update on Worker Protection Standards and Pesticide Recordkeeping – Michelle Infante-Casella, ANR Agent
6:00 PM Pesticide Credits and Adjourn
This event is sponsored by a grant awarded to Stephen Komar (Principal Investigator), Michelle Infante-Casella, and William Bamka Agricultural Agents/Professors, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, by the USDA, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Professional Development Program.
New Addendums for the USDA Harmonized and Harmonized Plus Audits
On July 3, 2025, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service released 3 new addenda to the Harmonized and Harmonized GAP Plus+ Standards: Warehouse, Food Defense, and Integrated Pest Management. All of which will require additional records. Requirements in the existing Harmonized and Harmonized GAP Plus+ standards have not changed. These new standards, versions 3.1 and 5.1 respectively, are effective July 3, 2025. Growers do not need to have these addendums audited unless a buyer requests one or all. Go to USDA Harmonized Audits to review the additions here Harmonized GAP | Agricultural Marketing Service.
May 8, 2025 Michelle Infante-Casella
Registration Open for 2 Agricultural Supervisor Training Courses: In English and Spanish
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development will be offering two Ag Supervisory Leadership courses for all agricultural operations starting in June for farms in the Northeastern Region including: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Registration is currently open and closes on June 25. There are separate registration fees for New York residents and out of state residents. See below.
The courses available are:
ASL101-SP: Transición a Supervisor (in Spanish)
Transition to Supervisor helps to develop leaders and focuses on skills to improve communication and manage conflict. Learn how to recognize our inherent biases and how to build better working relationships. Gain insight into your leadership style and learn how to effectively lead diverse and multicultural teams.
Course topics include:
How to make the mental transition to supervisor
How to develop effective working relationships
Essential communication skills
How to be the leader of a multicultural group
How to build better working relationships
Course begins: Friday, June 20, 2025
Live Zoom discussions: Thursdays, June 26 – July 31, 4:00–5:00 PM ET
Register for ASL101-SP Transición a Supervisor
ASL106: Ethics and Employment Regulations (in English)
In ASL106: Ethics and Employment Regulations, you’ll explore how to implement fair and ethical labor practices in agriculture and why they matter. You’ll learn to recognize and prevent sexual harassment, understand wage and hour laws, and apply Equal Employment Opportunity regulations to foster a respectful, inclusive workplace. The course also covers best practices for handling employee discipline and termination.
Course topics include:
Ethics and sustainability
Equal Employment Opportunity, laws and implications
Hiring regulations and practices
Safety issues in agriculture
Farm employee housing
Compensation regulations
Being an ethical supervisor
Course begins: Friday, June 20, 2025
Live Zoom discussions: Thursdays, June 26 – July 31, 3:00–4:00 PM ET
Register for ASL106: Ethics and Employment Regulations
Course costs:
$275 for NYS residents/$325 for out-of-state residents
Scholarship Opportunity for Dairy Producers:
Thanks to the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NEDBIC), eligible dairy producers can apply for a $100 scholarship to help cover registration fees. Scholarships are available to participants from qualifying states in the Northeast, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Questions? Email cu-agworkforce@cornell.edu
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cornellagworkforcedevelopment
April 28, 2025 Meredith Melendez
Farm Use of NJ Cottage Food Permit – Webinar 4/30
Learn about the NJ Cottage Food Permit and what value-added products you can, and can’t, make and sell. Meredith Melendez will be hosted by the NJ Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee on April 30th at 6:00 PM. The webinar is free, but registration is required. A tour of the NOFA Farmers Process certified kitchen in Milford will take place on May 7th at 10:00 am, learn more at the webinar!
