According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations. This is due to the varied number of agricultural risks encountered by farmers and farm workers. Recent events in New Jersey have brought up concerns about farm equipment on public roads.
On Monday, September 22nd from 12:00PM-1:00PM EST, there will be a webinar on
“Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions”
Summary: Tractors and other large ag machines are spending more time on public roads than ever before. As farms expand and equipment grows in size, the risks on rural roadways continue to rise, not just for farmers but for the entire motoring public. This session will explore how design solutions, especially those connected to lighting and marking design standards, reduce collision risk. We’ll unpack crash data, examine discrepancies between federal and state requirements, and highlight recent NHTSA regulations that focus national attention on these issues. We’ll also explore new risks associated with trailering, longer transport routes, and the safety implications of the accelerating shift toward autonomous and robotic machinery.
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe how changes in farm size, equipment design, and changes in rural communities contribute to increased roadway travel and higher collision risk.
*Explain the purpose and impact of consensus design standards and how alignment (or misalignment) with state regulations can influence roadway safety outcomes.
*Identify new roadway safety concerns tied to equipment trailering, larger machines, and longer travel distances across spread-out farm operations.
*Assess how automation and robotics in agriculture will introduce both new risks and promising safety solutions—and how policy, like California’s current occupational safety tractor rules, will shape their future use.
Intended audience: Farmers, policymakers, extension educators, engineers from equipment companies, law enforcement, clinicians, health professionals, agricultural association leaders, agribusiness professionals, insurance loss control/underwriters, vo-ag instructors, machinery dealers
Meet the Presenter: Dr. John Shutske, Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist and Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Register by first creating a free account on https://learning.agrisafe.org/register
And then using this link to register for the free webinar: https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/farm-equipment-hits-the-highway-growing-risks-and-smarter-solutions
Webinar on Monday 9/22/26 from 12-1PM: Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions
Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session
The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.
Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.
All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.
This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!
Cover Crop Webinar Series Hosted by NECCC
The Northeast Cover Crops Council will host a fall webinar series. The webinars will take place from 12-1 pm on Wednesdays from October 1 to November 5, 2025. Click here to register for the series. [Read more…]
NJDA Updates on HPAI: Cases in New Jersey this Year, and a Recommendation to Tighten Biosecurity before Fall Migration
State officials are urging backyard poultry owners to strengthen their biosecurity practices following a series of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detections across New Jersey earlier this year.
Between February and May 2025, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) confirmed HPAI at eight locations, including two backyard flocks in Salem and Atlantic counties, and six live bird markets. The virus, which is highly contagious and often fatal to domestic poultry, has also been found in wild birds across 16 counties, most recently in black vultures in Somerset County, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
As Fall migration season begins, state officials warn that interactions between wild birds and backyard flocks may increase, thus raising the risk of transmission. These interactions include: direct contact and/or the sharing of waterers, feeders, or swimming areas. This kind of direct exposure can be a potential source of disease transmission to domestic poultry, especially because HPAI can spread through contact with infected birds’ bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces like feeders, waterers, shoes, and equipment. Backyard poultry flocks in New Jersey are particularly at risk due to their smaller size and frequent exposure to wild birds or their droppings.
Strong biosecurity practices are key to protecting poultry from infection, and the NJDA is urging all poultry owners (including farms with multiple species, like poultry and ruminants) to stay vigilant and implement strict biosecurity protocols. Multi-species farms should evaluate and strengthen biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of cross-species disease transmission. Key biosecurity steps include securing housing against wildlife, reducing environmental attractants like standing water and uncovered feed, limiting human and equipment traffic, and regularly disinfecting surfaces and tools. Separate clothing and footwear for poultry care, or the use of disposable boot covers, is also recommended. The NJDOH also recommends wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling sick or dead birds. PPE can be obtained through a request to your local Rutgers Cooperative Extension county office.
The NJDA, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and other partners, continues to monitor and respond to the H5N1 threat. HPAI is a reportable disease, so suspected cases must be reported to the NJDA Division of Animal Health at 609-671-6400. For wild bird mitigation support, contact USDA Wildlife Services at 908-735-5654.
As a reminder, signs of HPAI in poultry include:
- Sudden death
- Reduced appetite or water intake
- Coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge
- Swelling around the eyes or face
- Open-mouth breathing
- Discolored combs or legs
- Drop in egg production
- Lethargy
For more information, including additional resources regarding biosecurity plans, please refer to the memo from Dr. Amar Patil, DVM, MVSc, Ph.D., Diplomate ACVM, Director of the Division of Animal Health/State Veterinarian: 2025 HPAI Letter to BYF Poultry Owners_SEPT
Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session
The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.
Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.
All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.
This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!
Spanish Course for Ag Workforce – Registration Open
The Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education will host a course on ‘Spanish for Ag and Horticulture Workforce’ from January 16-March 6, 2026. This is an online, self-paced course with approximately 21 hours of course content designed to help participants study conversational Spanish and gain technical vocabulary specific to those in the agriculture and horticulture workforce.
There is a registration fee of $825 per person. Register by January 9, 2026 for the early bird registration rate of $795.
For more information and to register, visit https://cpe.rutgers.edu/spanish-for-ag-and-horticulture-workforce.
