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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Pesticide Storage Inventory with Cover Letter Due May 1st to Fire Department
Free webinar – Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices
Did you know that well trained employees have a higher job satisfaction and feel more valued by their employer? Employees satisfied with job training are more committed to their employers and more willing to accept organization goals and values. This is a key component in creating a food safety culture on your farm. Well trained, committed employees are less likely to look for another job, reducing employee turnover on the farm and the turnover costs associated with having to find new employees.
Growers leave training courses with a lot of information, the majority of which needs to be taught to your employees. You are sent home with food safety educational tools such as handouts, knowledge, and binders, but are not given guidance on how to use these resources to train your employees. This webinar will help.
Join us on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 to talk about tips to train employees at our free lunchtime webinar Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices from 12 – 1pm Eastern Time.
This webinar will feature Phil Tocco, Extension Educator at Michigan State University Extension.
At the end of the webinar participants will:
- Understand how to verify training is working.
- Discern what training is required for different employees.
- Develop a process for training folks on your farm.
You can register for the webinar at this link: Webinar: Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices
South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – I
April 6 (Thu) @ 7 PM
Gloucester County Govt. Services Building: 1200 N. Delsea Drive, Bldg. # A, Clayton, NJ 08312
Pesticide credits requested: CORE, 1A, PP2, 10
7 pm: Welcome. Notes from Colorado peach meeting: market updates, etc.
Hemant Gohil, Gloucester County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers NJAES
Pesticide Safety and Regulations Update for 2023 (CORE)
George Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management, Rutgers NJAES
Field observations from the IPM Program
Dave Schmitt, Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers NJAES
Management of Peach Bacterial Spot: Timing Bactericide Sprays to Rainfall Events
Norman Lalancette, Extension Specialist, Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES
Urea Nitrogen Fertilizer and Nickel Nutrition for Orchard Health
Joseph Heckman, Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility, Rutgers NJAES.
Alon Rabinovich, Postdoc Associate, Plant Science Department, Rutgers Uni.
9 pm: Pesticide re-certification credits application and Adjourn
Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany at jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or 856-224-8030 if you plan to attend. If additional assistance is needed, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029 before the meeting.
Free Webinar: Marketing Your Farm – Agritourism
Wednesday, March 29, 12-1pm Eastern Time
Rutgers Cooperative Extension is partnering with other New England states to deliver agritourism education. A free webinar will be held to help farmers learn the three essential components of marketing your farm, with a focus on agritourism. Myrna Greenfield is the “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing and the author of Marketing Your Farm: A practical guide to attracting loyal customers and increasing sales. Ellen Parlee is the co-owner of Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, which offers pick-your-own fruit and flowers, along with a farmstand, bakery, ice cream stand, animal petting area, and a food trailer for lunch. Ryan Wilson is the co-owner of DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, New Hampshire, which offers pick-your-own apples/peaches/blueberries/Xmas trees, hayrides, school tours, special events, Cross Country running, and hiking trails and has a full commercial kitchen. The farm plays host to Torey Roderick Performance Horses and every October, the world-famous Haunted Overload. Lisa Chase from University of Vermont Extension will moderate the session.
To register see: https://uvm-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e3WWWaq9SoaQSR8nVkotdQ
This webinar is free, but registration is required.
Webinar: Incorporating Classes into Your Agritourism Business
Thursday March 23, 2023 12-1pm Eastern Time
Rutgers Cooperative Extension is partnering on a regional project with other New England Land Grant Universities to offer webinars related to agritourism in the northeast.
Join our speakers for Incorporating Classes into Your Agritourism Business, where they will share their experiences with offering, hosting, and teaching classes. As farm and food business owners, you are experts in your craft and likely face endless questions from customers and the public. Why not use this as an opportunity to offer classes, enabling your customers or the public to learn from your expertise? Classes can be tailored to a variety of topics and activities.
Susan Rigg is the owner of and cheesemaker at Whey River Creamery. Susan offers both introductory and advanced hands-on cheesemaking classes. Michele Capron is the co-owner of Lavender Essentials of Vermont. She offers numerous classes, including lavender wreath creations, cooking with lavender, native tea blending, herb garden, and make it – take it. Deb Hartshorn owns White Picket Farm LLC, offering a variety of class experiences, including soap making, creating terrariums, succulent bowls, and more!
To register go to: https://extension.psu.edu/incorporating-classes-into-your-agritourism-business
This webinar is free, but registration is required. You will need to create an account with Penn State Extension to register for this webinar.
Tree Fruit IPM Report for March 22, 2023
Tree Fruit Phenology:
Tree fruit phenology is advanced based on historical observations. In southern counties some early blooming varieties are 5-10% bloom. Redhaven was at bud swell on March 9, about 3 weeks earlier than the median observation date. Red Delicious was at silver tip on March 9, about 12 days earlier than the median observation date. Plums are in bloom and Pears are at green tip. The recent cold weather has helped slow things down. Peach phenology is about 2 weeks earlier than normal and apple phenology is about normal. [Read more…]
