Organic Farm Advisory

The Plant & Pest Advisory serves NJ growers by reporting on important pests and recommending responses that are grounded in reproducible trials.

Articles in this section contain information helpful to the NJ commercial organic grower.

Sharing organic practice trial results between land-grant universities is a cost effective way to create a common knowledge base built on the strengths of individual programs. In the sidebar, find institutions with programs in organic agriculture which augment knowledge developed at the Rutgers New Jersey Ag Experiment Station.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Field Guides: These concise guides help with decision making from pre-planting to harvest. For each crop listed, learn what pests to proactively look for as the season progresses, how to look for them, and when to take action.

Field Guide List

January 26, 2021

Onboarding for Seasonal Employees Training

Although this training opportunity is New York-based, it will have information that covers topics related to all employers who hire seasonal employees.

Attend a 1.5-hour, on-line program Best Practices for Onboarding Seasonal Workers. Learn the key things you should have in place to be ready to welcome a group of seasonal workers. This program will follow an onboarding guide, Onboarding Seasonal Farm Employees, that was developed by Liz Higgins, CCE Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, Mark Wiltberger, CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Program, and Richard Stup, CCE Ag Workforce Development. The onboarding guide covers:

-required paperwork and documentation for a new hire, including seasonal, migrant workers
-required trainings (with an emphasis on fruit and vegetable farms) and guides for developing a training plan
-tips for bringing on new employees and having them productive from day 1, especially when you are up to your eyeballs in work!
-tips for creating a welcoming environment where employees feel connected to their workplace and competent on the job.

When you register chose one of four dates:  

January 26 | 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM

January 27 | 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

January 28 | 8:00 AM  to 9:30 AM

To register see information in the Morning Ag Clips at https://www.morningagclips.com/onboarding-seasonal-farm-employees/

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Nursery, Organic Production, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
January 15, 2021

Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!

Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be held February 8-11, 2021 ONLINE!

This year’s Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference is 100% online.  There will be an excellent lineup of speakers from all over the country presenting on topics ranging from soil health to digital marketing.

New Jersey Pesticide Credits will be awarded (CORE, PP2, 1A, and 10).

Please note: TO ENSURE GROWERS RECEIVE PESTICIDE CREDITS THEY MUST

  1. Register as a New Jersey State Horticultural Society Member
  2. They must attend the ENTIRE credit bearing session.
  3. They MUST look for and follow the instructions on the follow-up E-mail, which will be sent to from Hunterdon County Agricultural Extension Secretary Kim Crommelin kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us following the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the meeting or pesticide credits please reach out to Kim Crommeliln kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Register at the Link Below

https://amr.swoogo.com/mafvc2021/785984

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Organic Production, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
January 7, 2021

Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program Now Available for Eligible Producers Affected by 2018, 2019 Natural Disasters

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that signup for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program began Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Funded by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, this new program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. The deadline to apply for QLA is Friday, March 5, 2021. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
January 4, 2021

USDA to Conduct 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, beginning in January 2021.  First conducted in 2015, this Census of Agriculture special study will look at local and regional food systems and provide new data on how locally grown and sold foods in the United States are marketed. The results will be available in November 2021. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
December 30, 2020

USDA Extends Crop Insurance Flexibilities Amid Continuing COVID-19 Pandemic

Through today’s announcement, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is extending crop insurance flexibilities for producers amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, relief provided for electronic notifications and signatures is extended through July 15, 2021; organic certification, replant self-certification and assignment of indemnity are extended through June 30, 2021. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
November 5, 2020

Soil Health Webinars Featuring Dr. James White Rutgers University Plant Pathology Professor, November 17th and 18th

SoilYou may have seen this information in the November 5th “Morning Ag Clips” edition. If not, please see this information being reposted here about webinars on soil health being held on November 17th and 18th.

Healthy soil is within the reach of every farm and ranching operation. The principles that govern healthy, productive soils are simple: nourish, build and leverage the soil microbiome—work with nature instead of against it.
Exemplifying the belief that soil health is an opportunity and responsibility for every farm, Heliae® Agriculture has announced a virtual 2-day educational event: Rethinking Soil Productivity, to showcase soil health opportunities that farms in every geography, of all scope and scale, can take advantage of.

The live webinar experience will kick-off on November 17th at 11 a.m. eastern standard time with an in-depth discussion with renowned Rutgers University plant pathology professor, Dr. James White, who will be joined by Heliae Chief Revenue Officer, Norm Davy and Vice President of Agriculture Science, Dr. Karl Wyant. The trio will explore the soil’s microbiome through discussion and the examination of Dr. White’s research on the Rhizophagy Cycle. The session promises to offer insight into the newly discovered process of a plant’s ability to “farm” the beneficial microbes it needs and fundamental management strategies that can be implemented within any production model.

Day 2 on November, 18th, brings the Heliae® Agriculture science, research and sales team together in a discussion that focuses on the creation of a healthy soil biome. Here, the team will take a deeper look at the multitude of benefits that come from working with nature rather than against it, sharing the timeline of the PhycoTerra team’s research and discovery, and the efficacy and return on investment a regenerative approach brings to any farming operation. Both sessions will feature a dedicated live Q&A segment to allow viewers to submit questions to the panels of professionals for real-time answers, and will offer participants the opportunity to earn four Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) continuing education units (CEUs) in the following areas:

Approved CEUs (4 Total)
Nutrient Management: 1
Soil and Water Management: 1
Crop Management: 1
Professional Development: 1

Each day will also feature breakout sessions that focus on showcasing regional PhycoTerra® trial results. Breakout sessions will be hosted and presented by the Heliae® Agriculture team with live Q&A provided for every session.

Sessions will include:

NOVEMBER 17TH:

Florida & Georgia – Berries, Leafy Greens & Potatoes
•Time: 2:00 PM EST

Canada – Wheat & Canola
•Time: 3:00 PM EST

Midwest – Corn & Beans
•Time: 4:00 PM EST

NOVEMBER 18TH:

Spanish Speaking
•Time: 2:00 PM EST

Pacific Northwest – Potatoes & Wheat
•Time: 3:00 PM EST

Arizona & California – Strawberries, Almonds & Leafy Greens
•Time: 4:00 PM EST

For more information on the 2-Day Webinar experience: Rethinking Soil Productivity or to register visit: https://bit.ly/3euoMnW

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: