Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
Subscription is through the general Fruit feed available via EMAIL and RSS.
Monday, October 16 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm EST
Join NRCS Soil Conservationist Kimberly Dalton and Natural Resource Specialist James Strehse for a webinar explaining 2024 NRCS Funding Opportunities.
REGISTER HERE
Whether you’re small or large scale, conventional or organic, there are NRCS practices that can apply to your operation. The presentation will include program information and guidance on how to apply with your local USDA service center.
Registration is through the NOFA-NJ website.
A Chambourcin wine tasting and evaluation meeting for New Jersey winemakers was held on November 10, 2022, at the Autumn Lake Winery, Williamstown, in Gloucester County. The notes below are based on individual observations of Chambourcin growers and winemakers, follow-on discussions, and related literature. The responses to the survey sent before the event are also summarized.
Participants: Auburn Road Winery, Autumn Lake Winery, Bellview Winery, Blue Cork Winery, Cedar Rose Winery, William Heritage Winery, Salem Oak Winery, Sharrott Winery and James Castelli Vineyards. [Read more…]
Proposed rules: PRN_2023-079_SADC_2_76-25
Original Notification of Public Hearing: Notice of public hearing SPS rule proposal
Important information:
DATE: September 27, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m
LOCATION: TEAMS Virtual Meeting
To join the hearing via computer: Click here to join the meeting
To join the hearing via phone: Call (856)338-7074
Conference ID: 268 371 32#
Meeting Link and Call-In information is also available on the SADC website at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/
NOTE: If you wish to provide oral testimony at the virtual public hearing, you must
register with the SADC no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023. Participants
may register by emailing Jessica.uttal@ag.nj.gov or calling her at (609) 913-6567.
From original notice:
STATE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Notice of Public Hearing on SADC Rule Proposal Establishing Soil Protection Standards
on Preserved Farmland
Proposal of new rules, N.J.A.C. 2:76-25, Soil Disturbance on Preserved Farmland; N.J.A.C.
2:76-25A, Supplemental Soil Disturbance Standards
PUBLIC NOTICE
Take notice that the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) is holding
a virtual public hearing for the proposed new rules defining what activities on preserved
farmland constitute soil disturbance, establishing a soil disturbance limitation on preserved
farms, allowing for waivers of the soil disturbance limit under certain conditions, providing
preserved farm landowners written notice of and an opportunity to be heard on mapped soil
disturbances, and promulgating technical standards for certain agricultural practices for
compliance with the soil disturbance limitation.
The notice of proposal was published in the New Jersey Register on August 7, 2023, at 55
N.J.R. 8(1).
The SADC will be holding a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at
6:00 p.m. through the SADC’s video conferencing software (Microsoft TEAMS).
Registration: If you wish to provide oral testimony at the virtual public hearing, you must
register with the SADC no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023. Participants
may register by emailing Jessica.uttal@ag.nj.gov or calling her at (609) 913-6567. Please
provide your name, organization, telephone number, and email address. A verbal or written
confirmation will be provided of your interest to testify at the hearing.
Please note that the SADC will take oral testimony at the hearing by alphabetical order of the
testifying person’s last name, and that this hearing will be recorded.
DATE: September 27, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 pm
LOCATION: TEAMS Virtual Meeting
To join the hearing via computer: Click here to join the meeting
To join the hearing via phone: Call (856)338-7074
Conference ID: 268 371 32#
Meeting Link and Call-In information is also available on the SADC website at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/
The SADC is also accepting written and/or electronic comments on the proposed rule
through October 6, 2023. Please submit electronic comments to SADC@ag.state.nj.us. In
the alternative, comments may be submitted on paper to:
Susan E. Payne, Executive Director
State Agriculture Development Committee
P.O. Box 330
Trenton, NJ 08625-0330
Please refer to the original notice of proposal for detailed information regarding the proposed
rules.
All essential plant nutrients cycle through the ecosystem of soil, water, air, plant, microbe, and animal. Agronomic information about the composition and beneficial use of waste materials and how the nutrients can be recycled can help growers reduce the need to purchase soil fertility inputs. Many different types of non-commercial nutrient sources are available in New Jersey. Examples include horse manure with bedding, shade tree leaves, lawn clippings, wood chips, food waste, coffee grounds, eggshells, wood ash and more.
With 43,000 horses in New Jersey, there is an abundance of horse manure produced. One horse can produce about 65 pounds of manure plus bedding per day. The quantity of horse manure is substantial on a statewide basis. Unfortunately, sometimes horse manure goes to landfills when it should be used to build and sustain soil fertility.
The Soil Profile Newsletter 2023 issue posted at Rutgers NJAES explains how to build and maintain soil fertility harnessing the nutrient supplying ability of horse manure and many other types of non-commercial materials. The chemical composition and soil fertility value of each material is presented for beneficial use. Available on the web at Rutgers NJAES ‘The Soil Profile’: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/soil-profile/pdfs/sp-v28.pdf
The Rutgers/NJAES stone fruit breeding program, led by Joe Goffreda, continues to create, and release exciting new peach varieties. We, in collaboration with growers, also continue to develop the varieties by evaluating their performance in plantings in commercial orchards and at Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center. During this key time of the season, historically Redhaven season, it is important for our area to capture a substantial market share with premium fresh peaches. We are glad to feature some new and improved peach options for this season.
Felicia is a recent release from Rutgers University. It is a very attractive freestone yellow-fleshed peach variety. It has attractive red to dark red skin, little pubescence, with traces of red in the flesh. It ripens a few days before Redhaven; however, unlike Redhaven, it retains firmness for longer while maintaining the balance of sweetness and acidity (Table 1). Fruit is large and firm-fleshed, which is essential for post-harvest handling. It has low susceptibility to bacterial spot.
Though Redhaven is still the standard, yellow-fleshed, traditional peach in this season, it has a few challenges. For example, fruit can ripen faster than it changes skin color. That means it requires experience to start picking. Felicia is a good choice if one is planning a replacement for Redhaven. [Read more…]
One of the most frequent calls over the past few years has been, “I want to start a farm/business/value-added product (etc.).”
That is usually followed up with, “What grants/funding sources are available?”
After rattling off a list of a few common sources of funding for new farmers there’s an added caveat that I don’t know the current status of those programs or what restrictions they have regarding new farming ventures. There are more programs out there with available funding, but there’s no comprehensive list of all grant programs supporting agricultural businesses, until now.
Farm Credit East has just released a report “identifying federal, regional and state grants, loan guarantees, and other incentives available to assist Northeast producers of all types and sizes.”
“Grants can be a great resource to provide additional funds needed to take on larger projects,” said Chris Laughton, Farm Credit East Director of Knowledge Exchange. “Unfortunately, they’re often under-utilized because they can be time consuming and involve quite a bit of paperwork.”
The report, from Farm Credit East Knowledge Exchange, includes funding opportunities available in the eight states served by Farm Credit East. Programs are categorized by their main focus: beginning farmers; conservation, environment and forestry; energy; fisheries and aquaculture; organic; rural business development; and research, education and promotion.
The report titled Grants and Incentives for Northeast Agriculture is available at FarmCreditEast.com or by contacting Chris Laughton at (800) 562-2235 or Chris.Laughton@farmcrediteast.com for more information.
Farm Credit East also has grant writing assistance services. Information is available on their grant writing page.
