The registration deadline is fast approaching for our December 5 and 6, 2024 Remote Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Safety Rule Training. This training fulfills the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration that at least one person from each farm that produces fresh fruits and vegetables needs to receive a standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA. This class runs from 9:00-1:00 EST and both days are required to receive the certificate. The deadline to register is Sunday, November 17, 2024, exceptions to this deadline cannot be made due to the nature of the remote program and the need for participants to have a copy of the Growers Training Manual prior to the training. Without the manual at the time of training participants will not receive a certificate. Manual will be mailed to all registered participants. For more information and to sign up for the class go to https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/trainings.
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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Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training
This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on their farms.
For 2024:
- Applications are due between July 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025
- Eligible expenses must be between June 26, 2024 and December 31, 2024
For 2025:
- Application is due between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026
- Eligible expenses must be between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) by working directly with the Farm Service Agency offices at your local FSA office for details. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.
How the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Works
The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in years 2024 and 2025. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements. FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses.
Program Eligibility
Eligibility requirements for FSCSC applicants are outlined below. We recommend you review these requirements before initiating your FSCSC application.
To be eligible for FSCSC, an applicant must:
Have obtained or renewed:
- 2024 food safety certification issued between June 26, 2024, and December 31, 2024
- 2025 food safety certification issued during calendar year 2025.
- Be a specialty crop operation (growing fresh fruits and vegetables); and meet the definition of a small business or medium size business.
- A small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of not more than $500,000.
- A medium (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
| Category of Eligible Expenses | Payment Amount of Eligible Costs |
| Developing a Food Safety Plan for First Time Certification | · 75% (no maximum) |
| Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan | · 75% up to $675 |
| Food Safety Certification | · 75% up to $2,000 |
| Certification Upload Fees | · 75% up to $375 |
| Microbiological Testing of Produce | · 75% up to 5 tests |
| Microbiological Testing of Soil Amendments | · 75% up to 5 tests |
| Microbiological Testing of Water | · 75% up to 5 tests |
| Training Expenses | · 100% up to $500 |
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts. The FSCSC application and associated forms are available online at farmers.gov/food-safety.
You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office about FSCSC, program eligibility, or the application process. You may also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance.
For our current trainings please go to: Our Trainings – Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety
**Twilight Meeting – October 17**
Cape May County Agriculture and Natural Resources will host an October Twilight Meeting for South Jersey Farmers on Thursday, October 17 from 7:00PM – 9:00 PM at Cape May Winery, 711 Townbank Road, Cape May, NJ 08204.
The program will include presentations on Soil Health is Always a Good Investment, IPM for specialty crops in New Jersey including tree fruit crops, small fruits, and vegetables, Pesticide safety, non-hazardous pest control methods, label literacy and how to avoid the 3 most common violations, and the Labor availability and Labor regulations that impact agriculture. Also, pesticide recertification credits will be awarded: CORE (1), 1A (1), 10 (1), and PP2 (1).
Please RSVP by Oct 15 to Jocelyn at 609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or email capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu.
October Twilight Meeting
October Twilight Meeting
October 17, 2024
7:00PM – 9:00 PM
Cape May Winery
711 Townbank Road. Cape May, NJ 08204
Program
6:45 PM: Registration / Light Refreshments
7:00 PM: Welcome – Claudia Gil Arroyo, Cape May County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES
7:10 PM: Soil Health is Always a Good Investment
William Errickson, Monmouth County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES
7:40 PM: IPM for specialty crops in New Jersey including tree fruit crops, small fruits, and vegetables.
Janine Spies, Statewide Program Leader in Fruit IPM, County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES
8:10 PM: Pesticide safety, non-hazardous pest control methods, label literacy and how to avoid the 3 most common violations.
Spencer Kerkhof, Environmental Specialist I, Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement; NJDEP
8:45 PM: Labor availability and Labor regulations that impact agriculture
Ben Casella, New Jersey Farm Bureau
Light refreshments will be served.
The following pesticide recertification credits will be awarded: CORE (1), 1A (1), 10 (1), PP2 (1)
Please RSVP by October 15, 2024:
Jocelyn Shillingford
609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu
Recommendations for Neopestalotiopsis control in fall planted strawberries
A new article by Dr. Phil Brennan (University of Georgia) from the Strawberry News website (UGA) has been published with information compiled by Dr. Guido Schnabel (Clemson University) and Dr. Bill Cline (North Carolina State) on managing fall-planted strawberries with the known presence of Neopestalotiopsis. New Jersey growers who may have purchased strawberry plants this fall from sources with known Neopestalotiopsis issues need to be proactive in mitigating it as best they can this fall and develop a plan for the upcoming spring. For more information please click here.
For more information on diagnosing Neopestalotiopsis in strawberry please click here.
Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC
Agri-Technology and Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC
Thursday September 19th, 2024
4 pm until dark
Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC)
121 Northville Road
Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302
This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will continue to showcase new agricultural technologies for stakeholders in the state. We will showcase the newly operating agrivoltaics system with specialty crops (fresh-market tomatoes, bell pepper, and eggplant) and soybeans growing beneath them and discuss new technologies for autonomous weeding. Specialists will also discuss their research and provide updates on fiber hemp, Christmas trees, native plants, invasive fruit pests, and vegetable disease.
Speakers:
Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE Nursery Agent. “Nursery and Ornamental Research: Christmas Tree Pathology Studies and Native Plant Demonstrations”
Dan Ward, Director, RAREC. “Agrivoltaics for NJ: Progress and Promise”
Raul Cabrera, Extension Specialist in Nursery Production and Management. “Fiber Hemp and Weeds”
Ann Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Entomology. “Incorporating Insect Behavior into Management of Invasive Fruit Pests”
Thierry Besancon, Extension Weed Specialist for Specialty Crops. “Update on new technologies for weed management in sweet corn”
Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology. “Updates on vegetable disease control”
