Date: February 24, 2016
Time: 8:30 am – 4:45 pm
Location: Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Rt. 12, Bldg. #1, Flemington, NJ 08822See Rutgers Fruit Focus Newsletter for details.
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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North Jersey Tree Fruit Meeting
February Events: Grapevine Pruning Workshop & More
Date: Wednesday February 17, 1:00 to 3:00pm
(rain date: February 19)
Location: RAREC Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center
121 Northville Road
Bridgeton, NJ 08302This winter pruning workshop for beginning as well as experienced grape growers will feature dormant pruning methods demonstrated by Rutgers NJAES and Cooperative Extension experts Hemant Gohil, Gary Pavlis, and Dan Ward.
There is no registration fee however pre-registration is required.
To pre-register, please call or email Joan Medany: (856) 307-6450; jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
Don’t Miss the 2016 NJ Ag Convention & Trade Show Wine Grape Sessions
Click link to view 2016 Convention Information & Registration
Tuesday February 9, 2016
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Tree Fruit Meeting for Commercial Growers
The 2016 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, February 25th. The meeting will be held at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC), 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ.
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Cool Climate Chardonnay Clones
From The New Jersey Center for Wine Research and Education
This month, Hemant Gohil, Gary Pavlis, and Daniel Ward discuss the origin of Chardonnay and name clones appropriate for cool climates. According to a 2015 survey by Sonoma State University, Chardonnay is the favorite varietal of American wine consumers.
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FSMA Produce Safety Rule Now Final
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety rule is now final, and the earliest compliance dates for some farms begin one year after the effective date of the final rule (see “Compliance Dates” below). The rule establishes, for the first time, science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. The FDA has created a factsheet highlighting the produce safety rule.
This rule was first proposed in January 2013. In response to input received during the comment period and during numerous public engagements that included public meetings, webinars, listening sessions, and visits to farms across the country, the FDA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking in September 2014. The proposed revisions were designed to make the originally proposed rule more practical, flexible, and effective.
The final rule is a combination of the original proposal and revisions outlined in the supplemental proposal, with additional changes as appropriate. The definition of “farm” and related terms were revised in the final Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, and the same definitions of those terms are used in this rule to establish produce safety standards. Operations whose only activities are within the farm definition are not required to register with FDA as food facilities and thus are not subject to the preventive controls regulations.
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On Farm Food Safety Winter Trainings Announced
On-farm food safety trainings will be held this winter throughout the state. Certificate based third party audit trainings will be offered in Rosenhayn and Chatsworth. Three additional trainings, located in Atlantic City, Trenton and Pittstown, will offer the required curriculum for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. More information on who will need to comply with FSMA to be published soon, as the final rule was just released and we are working to understand its implications for NJ produce growers.
Registration is required for attendance at these trainings!