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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.
Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS.
Early Season Tree Fruit Pest Control in 2021
Cultivating a Farm State of Mind About Mental Health
American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2021 Ag Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) Week, which is taking place from February 28 to March 6, was created to bring awareness to safety and health issues facing the agriculture industry.
For farmers and ranchers, stress is a way of life. They depend on many factors that are out of their control, like weather, commodity prices, availability of labor, trade markets and a lot more. With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, their stress levels have gone even higher and in many cases are reaching the breaking point.
A new survey from the American Farm Bureau found that more than half of rural adults and farmers/farmworkers say they are personally experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago. Two in three farmers/farmworkers say the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their mental health, and two in three have experienced feeling nervous, anxious or on edge during the pandemic. The percentage of farmers/farmworkers who say social isolation impacts farmers’ mental health increased 22% since April 2019, a significant finding given the long hours many farmers work alone.
This should be a wake-up call for everyone in the agriculture community, and we should all be doing our part to help.
As part of Agricultural Safety Awareness Week (Feb. 28 – March 6), Farm Bureau encourages everyone to learn to recognize the warning signs of chronic stress, engage in conversations and lend a helping hand.
When loved ones, neighbors or others we care about are experiencing mental health challenges, they may not even realize it, so it’s important to look for signs that they may be at risk. These include things like changes in routines or social activities, decline in appearance of
the farm or the care of domestic animals, increase in farm accidents, increase in illnesses or other chronic conditions, or decreased interest in activities or events.
If you see any of these signs, it’s time to show you care. It may feel like it’s out of your comfort zone, but there are simple ways to start a conversation. Remind them of something they’ve said about what’s concerning them, and express interest. Acknowledge what they’re going through. Share a habit you’ve seen change. And if you’re concerned, don’t wait for them to ask for help. Offer to help connect them to the many resources that are available for support. What matters most is showing genuine care and empathy, and listening.
It’s time we all took a stand to help those around us who may be experiencing the effects of chronic stress. Visit the Farm State of Mind website for more information about the warning signs of stress, tips for helping someone in emotional pain, ways to start a conversation, crisis hotlines, treatment locators and additional resources for managing stress, anxiety or depression. If we all do our part to help, we can strengthen our rural and farming communities and shine a ray of hope on those we care about.
Webinar on Organic Management of Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Organic management of spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) is challenging due to the low number of effective OMRI-approved materials and limited understanding on the biology of SWD to translate into non-chemical management tactics. This webinar will provide a comprehensive update on organic management of spotted-wing drosophila. It will summarize findings of the research conducted by our project team on organically approved strategies including behavioral, cultural, biological, and chemical tactics to manage SWD.
Date: March 9
Time: 2 pm ET
Register now at http://eorganic.org/node/34578
2021 Grape Expectation – Registration for Pesticide Recertification Credits
GRAPE EXPECTATION – 2021
New Jersey Wine Grape Symposium
March 6 (Saturday) 9 AM – 12 PM
Please note that, there is a two step process to register for the pesticide recertification credits. Please see below the links and instructions. If you have already completed the STEP 1 (registering for the educational sessions), you may skip that step and go the STEP 2. Program agenda is below the registration information. Pesticide credits approved are: 1A (4); PP2 (4); 3A(1); 6B(1); 8C(1); 10(3). [Read more…]
Governor Murphy Announces Expansion of Eligibility for New Jersey’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Secretary Fisher would like to share the following Press Release from Governor Murphy regarding the vaccination of farmworkers.
“A healthy workforce is of critical importance for agriculture and the food industry supply chain,” said New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher. “We appreciate that Governor Murphy has prioritized the vaccination of our essential farmworkers as we ramp up for New Jersey’s growing season.”
Governor Murphy Announces Expansion of Eligibility for New Jersey’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Expansion Includes Educators, Childcare Workers, Transportation Workers, and Other Frontline Essential Workers and High-Risk Groups
TRENTON – Governor Murphy today announced the expansion of eligibility for more frontline essential workers and high-risk groups in New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Eligible groups include educators and staff in pre-k through 12th grade settings, childcare workers, and transportation workers, among others.
“Our administration has built the infrastructure – including nearly 300 vaccination sites across the state – needed to support New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination demand,” said Governor Murphy. “As the federal government continues to make more vaccine doses available, we are confident in our ability to expand our vaccination program to reach more of our essential workers and vulnerable populations. Our goal is to provide every New Jerseyan with a vaccine when it is available and they are eligible.”
“As vaccine supply increases, this phased expansion of new eligibility groups keeps New Jersey moving forward toward our goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the eligible adult population,” said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
Beginning Monday, March 15, the following categories are eligible for vaccination:
- Educators, including support staff, in pre-K through 12th grade settings;
- Childcare workers in licensed and registered settings;
- Public and local transportation workers, including bus, taxi, rideshare, and airport employees; NJ TRANSIT workers; and Motor Vehicle Commission staff;
- Public safety workers who are not sworn law enforcement or fire professionals, including probation officers and fire safety inspectors;
- Migrant farm workers;
- Members of tribal communities; and,
- Individuals experiencing homelessness and those living in shelters, including domestic violence shelters.
Additionally, beginning on Monday, March 29, frontline essential workers in the following categories are also eligible for vaccination:
- Food production, agriculture, and food distribution;
- Eldercare and support;
- Warehousing and logistics;
- Social services support staff;
- Elections personnel;
- Hospitality;
- Medical supply chain;
- Postal and shipping services;
- Clergy; and,
- Judicial system.
Additionally, the eligibility list will indicate that all individuals ages 16-64 with certain medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that increase the risk or might increase the risk of severe illness from the virus, are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination.
For more information about eligibility, statewide vaccination site locations, and to preregister for a vaccination, visit https://covid19.nj.gov/vaccine
For more information on CDC criteria for eligibility, please click here.
‘Driving Safety Home’ is Theme of Agricultural Safety Awareness Program Week, Feb. 28 – March 6
Sharing resources that will help farmers and ranchers keep safety top of mind through the Agricultural Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) is a priority of county and state Farm Bureau leaders across the nation. As part of ASAP, Feb. 28 – March 6 has been designated as Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers will join Farm Bureau in promoting the week with its theme “Driving Safety Home.”
A different safety focus will be highlighted by Farm Bureau and U.S. Ag Centers each day of the week:
- Monday, March 1 – Farmer Roadway Safety
- Tuesday, March 2 – Caretaker Support
- Wednesday, March 3 – General Farmer Wellness
- Thursday, March 4 – Mental Health
- Friday, March 5 – Community Roadway Safety
During this week and throughout the year, Farm Bureau encourages farmers to make safety a priority on the farm.
The Agricultural Safety Awareness Program is a part of the Farm Bureau Health and Safety Network of professionals who share an interest in identifying and decreasing safety and health risks. For more information and resources, visit the ASAP Facebook page.
Visit the Centers’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/USagCenters) for new content and fresh ideas about how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Join the movement to keep farms safe and share your own safety messages on social media using the hashtags #KeepFarmsSafe, #ASAP21 and #USAgCenters.
The 11 U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers (www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/agctrhom.html) are funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.