Fruit Crops Edition

Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting tree fruit and small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
 
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Webinars: Considerations for Agritourism Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Monday, August 31, 2020 07:00 PM
And
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 07:00 PM

For more information see: https://agritourism.rutgers.edu/training/

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agritourism Working Group developed considerations to assist NJ farmers with agritourism operations on their farms during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document is designed to help operators manage strategies for compliance with State executive orders and federal/state/local safety guidelines. The team will host 2 webinars on 8/31 and 9/1 at 7:00PM to discuss the considerations and provide an opportunity for farmers with agritourism operations to network

To Participate:
Click the link below. We suggest visiting at least 10 minutes before the session start time to confirm system requirements
https://go.rutgers.edu/sfk96jlp

Or participants can join in by phone:
1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 912 2343 8378

For more events hosted by Rutgers see: https://events.rutgers.edu/njaes/

CFAP Webinars for Additional Eligible Commodities

Join the USDA Farm Service Agency this afternoon, Wednesday August 19th at 3 pm, for the “Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Producer Webinar: Additional Eligible Commodities Added.” USDA Farm Service Agency will discuss additional commodities that are now eligible for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), providing detailed examples on nursery crops, specialty crops, cut flowers, eligible aquaculture, and more. Registrations for this webinar are being accepted here.

The New Jersey Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be hosting an informational Nursery/Cut Flowers Stakeholders Webinar on Thursday, August 20th at 10 am regarding nursery and cut flowers eligibility for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This webinar will be held by a virtual Teams Meeting. Instructions on how to enter a Teams meeting using a computer or smartphone can be viewed here. If you are unable to attend virtually via Teams, you may dial in to hear the presentation. Slides to be presented are available here, although they are subject to modification prior to the event.

Please contact Lindsay Caragher at Lindsay.Caragher@usda.gov or 609-438-3133 with any questions about Teams Meeting or the webinar in general.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency is accepting applications through September 11, 2020 for the CFAP program which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fruit IPM for August 19, 2020

Peach:

Stink Bugs Apples and Peaches: BMSB populations are becoming quite high in several northern locations. These populations have the potential to do serious damage to apples where populations are high. Growers with high BMSB populations should consider weekly insecticide applications and/or supplemental border applications with BMSB effective insecticides. [Read more…]

Additional “Guidance and Compliance Assistance on Farmworker Safety & Pay During the Pandemic” Offered by US Dept of Labor – Wage & Hour

The following message was shared by Shavonne Person, Community Outreach & Resource Planning Specialist (CORPS), and Steven Risko, Assistant District Director, U.S. Department of Labor – Wage & Hour Division, Southern New Jersey District Office in Lawrenceville:

“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces some of our nation’s most comprehensive labor laws for agricultural workers, [Read more…]

Fruit IPM for August 12, 2020

Peach:

Stink Bugs Apples and Peaches: BMSB populations are generally low and little changed since last week. However, hatching egg masses are present statewide. Therefore populations can increase in the near future. As the peach season comes to a close, BMSB has the potential to be more of a problem in apples. [Read more…]

USDA Announces More Specialty Crops, Nursery Crops, Cut Flowers Eligible for CFAP Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that additional specialty crops, including nursery crops and cut flowers, are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and that the deadline to apply for the program is extended to September 11th. [Read more…]