March 5, 2026

South Jersey Calibration Grower Meeting

March 25, 2026

2:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center                 

121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ

Program

2:30 PM – Registration

3:00 PM – Welcome and Introductions

3:15 PM – Airblast Sprayer Calibration Techniques

Chris Lovenduski, Central Jersey Equipment

4:15 PM – Early season management in peaches

 Anne Nielsen PhD, Professor and Extension Specialist in Entomology

4:45 PM – Light fare & refreshments (pre-registration required)

5:00 PM – Coverage Counts: How to make the most of a pesticide application

Karly Regan PhD, Certis Biologicals

5:30 PM – Pesticide Safety and Regulations for Specialty Crops

Janine Spies PhD, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

6:00 PM – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJDEP Pesticide Recertification Credits are anticipated.

Registration cost per person: $10.

Cash or check (made payable to Rutgers The State University) will be collected at the door.

Pre-register by Thursday March 19.

Click here to register: South Jersey Calibration Event Registration – Fill out form

Program Chair: Janine Spies, Agriculture and Natural Resources County Agent III, Statewide Program Leader in Fruit IPM

If you have any questions please contact Janine Spies: (352) 231-6330, janine.spies@rutgers.edu

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
March 5, 2026

North Jersey Calibration Grower Meeting

March 24, 2026

2:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Clifford E. & Melda C. Snyder Research & Extension Farm                                  

140 Locust Grove Road Pittstown, NJ

Program

2:30 PM – Registration

3:00 PM – Welcome and Introductions

3:15 PM – Airblast Sprayer Calibration Techniques

Chris Lovenduski, Central Jersey Equipment

4:15 PM – Importance of Calibration for Optimal Pest Control and Resistance Management

Kaitlin Quinn, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

4:45 PM – Light fare & refreshments (Pre-registration required)

5:00 PM – Coverage Counts: How to make the most of a pesticide application

Karly Regan PhD, Certis Biologicals

5:30 PM – Pesticide Safety and Regulations for Specialty Crops

Janine Spies PhD, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

6:00 PM – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJDEP Pesticide Recertification Credits are anticipated.

Registration cost per person: $10.

Cash or check (made payable to Rutgers The State University) will be collected at the door.

Click here to register: North Jersey Calibration Event Registration – Fill out form

Pre-register by Wednesday March 18.

If you have any questions please contact Kim Cromelin: (908) 788-1338, kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Program Chair: Janine Spies, Agriculture and Natural Resources County Agent III, Statewide Program Leader in Fruit IPM

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
February 24, 2026

Change in Location – South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting

Please note that the location of the South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting has been changed.
Location:      254 County House Road, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
Date:          March 5, 2026 (Thu)        
Registration:  Pre-registration required. Please call (856) 224 – 8030 or Email: jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
               $20 per person. Checks only. Payable to Rutgers University.

Pesticide Credits: CORE,PP2, 10, 1A
PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Coffee and pastries
08:50 am   Welcome and Opening Remarks. Hemant Gohil, Rutgers NJAES
09:00 am   Ambrosia Beetle Management in the Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
09:30 am   Woolly Apple Aphid Management in Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
10:00 am   Introducing Dr. Nancy Sharma, new Extension Specialist, Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Uni.

10:15 am   Coffee Break

10:30 am   Industry Updates  
10:45 am   Current Trends in Tree Fruit Pest Management. Janine Spies, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am   Pesticide Safety Update: Exposure, ​Recordkeeping, and Storage. Kate Brown, Rutgers NJAES.
11:45 pm   From Field to Current – Harnessing Electricity for Sustainable Weed Control. Thierry Besancon, Rutgers NJAES.

12:15 pm   Lunch 

1:00 pm    Mycorrhizae Products that Enhance the Root Systems of Young Apple Trees. Megan Muehlbauer, Rutgers NJAES
1:30 pm    Updates and Recommendations for Scale Management. Anne Nielsen, Rutgers NJAES
2:00 pm    Peach Varieties Comparisons – New and Standard. Hemant Gohil and Daniel Ward, Rutgers NJAES.
2:30 pm    Grower Open Forum and Pesticide recertification credits
           Adjourn 

For questions, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu
Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
February 18, 2026

2026 Grape Expectation – New Jersey Grape and Wine Symposium

Date:    March 12 (Thu)
Venue:   Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831
Fees:    Please see the details on registration fees and payment methods at the end of the program.
Credits: CORE, 1A, PP2, 10

PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Continental Breakfast
09:00 am   Welcome, Introductions, and Symposium Overview. Dr. Gary C. Pavlis – RCE of Atlantic County
09:10 am   Managing Grape Diseases: What to Watch and What to Do?
           Nancy Sharma, Extension Specialist in Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES.
09:40 am   Beyond the Garden State: How Emerging Wine Regions Overcome Perception, Policy, and Market Barriers.
           Seth Porter, Chief Innovation Officer, Dean of the Kraemer Family Library, Colorado State University.
10:10 am   What’s New from the Industry

10:25 am   COFFEE BREAK

10:45 am   The Evolution of Long Island Viticulture, 1973-present
           Alice Wise, Ag Program Director - Viticulture Research, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
11:30 am   Mystery Wine Challenge

12:00 pm   BUFFET LUNCH FEATURING NJ WINES

01:00 pm   Active Frost Protection in the Vineyard – Panel Discussion.
           The Panel: Larry Sharrott (Sharrott Vineyards), William Heritage (William Heritage Winery), Nick Sharko 
           (Alba Vineyards), Lewis DeEugenio (Summit City Farms and Winery), and Moderator, Hemant Gohil (Rutgers).
01:45 pm   Early Season IPM for NJ Grapevines
           Janine Spies, Statewide Fruit Integrated Pest Management Agent, Rutgers NJAES.

02:15 pm   Coffee Break

02:30 pm   New Weed Management Technology in Grape
           Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES
03:00 pm   NJDEP’s Pesticide Safety and Regulations – CORE Credit
           Spencer Kerkhof, Pesticide Enforcement Officer, NJDEP
03:30 pm   Decreasing Fungicide Sprays with the New PIWI Grape Varieties
           Eric Amberg, Founder, Amberg Grapevines, Clifton Springs, New York  
04:00 pm   Beyond the Bottle: Refining Visitation in Wine
           Susan Dematei, President, WineGlass Marketing
04:30 pm   End of the Session, Pesticide Recertification Credits, Q and A
Registration: Non-Industry members - $110
              Winery Personnel - $110 for the first person and $90 for each additional winery members.
              At the Door registration $130
              Vendors $160
              For online registration and payment, please use the web link https://ce-catalog.rutgers.edu/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=96808 


Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , 
February 16, 2026 
South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting


Venue:         RCE of Gloucester County
               254 County House Rd, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
Date:          March 5, 2026 (Thu)        
Registration:  Pre-registration required. Please call (856) 224 – 8030 or Email: jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
               $20 per person. Checks only. Payable to Rutgers University.

Pesticide Credits: CORE,PP2, 10, 1A


PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Coffee and pastries
08:50 am   Welcome and Opening Remarks. Hemant Gohil, Rutgers NJAES
09:00 am   Ambrosia Beetle Management in the Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
09:30 am   Woolly Apple Aphid Management in Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
10:00 am   Introducing Dr. Nancy Sharma, new Extension Specialist, Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Uni.

10:15 am   Coffee Break

10:30 am   Industry Updates  
10:45 am   Current Trends in Tree Fruit Pest Management. Janine Spies, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am   Pesticide Safety Update: Exposure, ​Recordkeeping, and Storage. Kate Brown, Rutgers NJAES.
11:45 pm   From Field to Current – Harnessing Electricity for Sustainable Weed Control. Thierry Besancon, Rutgers NJAES.

12:15 pm   Lunch 

1:00 pm    Mycorrhizae Products that Enhance the Root Systems of Young Apple Trees. Megan Muehlbauer, Rutgers NJAES
1:30 pm    Updates and Recommendations for Scale Management. Anne Nielsen, Rutgers NJAES
2:00 pm    Peach Varieties Comparisons – New and Standard. Hemant Gohil and Daniel Ward, Rutgers NJAES.
2:30 pm    Grower Open Forum and Pesticide recertification credits
           Adjourn 

For questions, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu


Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , 
February 13, 2026 
Farm Safety Needs Assessment


The Rutgers Farm Health and Safety Working Group is conducting a survey to evaluate the priority needs of New Jersey farmers for training and resource development related to safety and health.  As a New Jersey farmer, you are invited to complete this survey. Click here to access the survey and learn more.  [Read more…]


Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: ,