In response to the global pandemic COVID-19, and in line with the Mexican government’s call to increase social distancing, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and all U.S. consulates in Mexico will suspend routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services starting March 18, 2020, and until further notice. For farmers this means, H-2A workers and others from Mexico may be prevented from entering the U.S. until further notice. NJ Farm Bureau is researching the subject for more clarification. For now to see more information go to the U.S. Embassy’s website at: 
https://mx.usembassy.gov/status-of-u-s-consular-operations-in-mexico-in-light-of-covid-19/
March 17, 2020 Michelle Infante-Casella
Status of U.S. Consular Operations in Mexico in Light of COVID-19
February 22, 2020 Cesar Rodriguez-Saona
WEBINAR: Organic Management of Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Dear Organic Fruit Growers, Pest Management Professionals and other stakeholders:
Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) has emerged as a devastating pest of small and stone fruits worldwide. We have organized a webinar to provide you with the most updated information on everything you need to know for organic management of SWD.
Please register at: https://eorganic.org/node/33992 to attend this webinar.
Date: March 4, 2020 (Wednesday) 2:00-3:30pm Eastern
Presented by: Ash Sial (UGA), Mary Rogers (UMN), Kelly Hamby (UMD), Kent Daane (UC Berkeley), Rufus Isaacs (MSU), Vaughn Walton (OSU), Oscar Liburd (UF), Craig Roubos (UGA), Elena Rhodes (UF) and other members of the SWD OREI project team.
Sponsored by: Award No. 2018-51300-28434 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
February 10, 2020 Hemant Gohil
2020 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Grower Meeting
Date: March 5, 2020
Time: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: RAREC – 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Pre-Registration: Required, Contact: Karen Holton (holton@njaes.rutgers.edu) or (856) 455-3100 x 4104
Cost / person: $15.00 (Checks preferred, made out to Rutgers University) Lunch: Included
Pesticide Credits: Requested for – Core, PP2, 10, 1A, 3A and 3B
Program
8:00 am Registration Coffee and pastries
8:25 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Daniel Ward, Director, Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Hemant Gohil, Agriculture Agent, Rutgers Co-op. Extension, Gloucester County
8:30 am Peach Bacterial Spot Management: Comparison of Copper Compounds and Rates
Norm Lalancette, Extension Specialist in Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES
9:15 am Pollinator Stewardship in Orchards
Julianna Wilson, Academic Specialist, Tree Fruit Integrator, Michigan State University
10:00 am Break – Coffee and pastries
10:15 am Integrating Management for Key Orchard Pests
Anne Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Tree Fruit Entomology, Rutgers NJAES
10:45 am Recommendation Updates for Tree Fruit Insect Management w/ Special Attention to Bee Safety.
Dean Polk, Statewide Fruit IPM Agent, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am Pesticide Regulatory and Safety Update for 2020
George Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management, Rutgers NJAES
11:45 am Industry Updates and NJ Peach Promotion Council Updates
12 Noon Lunch
1:00 pm Updates on tree fruit soil fertility management in New Jersey
Megan Muehlbauer, Agriculture Agent, Rutgers Co-op. Extension, Hunterdon Co.
1:30 pm Soil Health – A Panel Discussion
Daniel Ward, Extension Specialist, Pomology; Joseph Heckman, Extension Specialist, Soil Health; Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science; Lewis DeEugenio, Fruit Grower, Summit City Farms; Robert Muth, Fruit and Vegetable Grower, Muth Family Farms; Megan Muehlbauer, Agriculture Agent.
2:30 pm Updates on Peach and Nectarine Breeding Program
Joseph Goffreda, Tree Fruit Breeding, Rutgers University
3:00 pm Open Session – Grower Questions and Discussion
Pesticide re-certification credits
Please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu or 856-224-8029 if you have any questions.
March 20, 2019 Megan Muehlbauer
2019 North Jersey Commercial Fruit Grower Twilight Meeting Series Part I
Twilight Meeting I
April 4, 2019
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Light Dinner provided from 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Hosted by: Stony Hill Farms
193 Parker Road
Long Valley, NJ 07853
Registration is free, however please RSVP by Tuesday April 2 with Kim Fry at (908)788-1339
Program will include a tour of Stony Hill Farms, along with discussion on a number of tree and small fruit production issues including scale and plum curculio management, Spotted Lanternfly, early season disease control, and thinning strategies, as well as an overview of irrigation, and frost protection in the orchard.
Speakers from Rutgers Cooperative Extension will include:
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent, Hunterdon County
Hemant Gohil PhD, Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent, Gloucester County
Clement Akotsen-Mensah PhD, Post Doctoral Researcher
Norm Lalancette PhD, Specialist in Tree Fruit Plant Pathology
Anne Nielsen PhD, Specialist in Tree Fruit Entomology
Dean Polk, State Wide Fruit IPM Agent
Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent, Morris County
Guest Speaker on Spotted Lanternfly Updates TBA
NJDEP PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS ARE ANTICIPATED
Megan Muehlbauer
Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent III, Hunterdon County
Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and County Boards of Chosen Freeholders, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.
March 14, 2019 Hemant Gohil
South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – I
When: March 27 @ 7 PM
Where: Gloucester County Extension Office, 1200 N. Delsea Drive, Bldg. # A, Clayton, NJ 08312
7:00 PM: Welcome Remarks and Updates.
Hemant Gohil, Gloucester County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers NJAES
Comprehensive Understanding of Spotted Lantern Fly in Orchard Crops
Heather Leach, Spotted Lantern Fly Extension Associate, Penn State University. Invited Speaker, Heather leach is specialist on Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). She will speak on the comprehensive understanding of SLF priorities from every perspective and provide latest information on biology, behavior and effective management techniques.
Pesticide Record Keeping Update.
George Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management, Rutgers NJAES
Food Safety Issues Related to Tree Fruit Production.
Wes Kline, Cumberland County Agriculture Agent, Rutgers NJAES
Management of Scale Insect in Peach
Anne Nielsen, Extension Specialist, Fruit Entomology, Rutgers NJAES
Early Season Disease Control
Norman Lalancette, Extension Specialist, Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES
Scouting Observations and IPM of Early Season Pests
Dave Schmitt and Dean Polk, State-wide Fruit IPM Agent, Rutgers NJAES
9:30 PM Pesticide re-certification credits application and Adjourn
Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-224-8030 if you are planning to attend.
This site is accessible to the physically impaired. If an additional assistance is needed, please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029 prior to the meeting.
February 27, 2019 Megan Muehlbauer
Register Now for the North Jersey Commercial Vegetable and Fruit Grower Meetings
North Jersey Commercial Vegetable Growers Meeting
February 28, 2019
North Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting
March 7, 2019
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Rt. 12, Building #1
Flemington, NJ 08822
For registration and program details contact Cynthia Triolo at 973-285-8306 or ctriolo@co.morris.nj.us
