Vegetable Crops Edition

Seasonal updates and alerts on insects, diseases, and weeds impacting vegetable crops. New Jersey Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations updates between annual publication issues are included.
 
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May 5, 2021

IPM Update 5/05/21

Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel are currently finishing deployment of the black light trap network in New Jersey.  At present, we are approximately 80% operational and will begin to monitor traps by the end of this week.  We do not anticipate corn earworm (CEW) or  European corn borer (ECB) moths for some time yet, but as numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 5, 2021 and

Updated COVID Farm Guidance for the 2021 Season

Volunteer workerWe have been watching as the state executive orders continue to roll out and how this impacts the agricultural community.  The two key take-aways for farms this season are:

  1. Ensure that your customer capacity limits allow for 6′ of social distancing
  2. Communicate to customers that masks will be required when indoors and when social distancing isn’t possible out of doors

Guidance documents have been updated on the following topics 
U-Pick Operation Guidelines under COVID-19
RCE Wholesale Grower Questions
Best Practices for Direct Market Sales
Complying with NJ Executive Orders – Pick Your Own

The Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team now has a COVID-19 Information For the Agricultural Industry webpage where these updated documents are housed, along with other COVID resources and vaccine information including printable posters in multiple languages.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 5, 2021

Secretary Fisher Gives Mask Guidance for Farmers Markets

Secretary Fisher issued guidance on 4/30/21 for farmers markets regarding mask wearing, stating “While it may be appropriate to remove masks while seated and dining or drinking, all farmers, vendors and market customers should continue to wear a mask while at the market regardless of vaccination status.”  To see the full letter from Secretary Fisher visit Farm Market Mask Guidance.pdf (nj.gov)

Farm Market Mask Guidance

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 4, 2021

Vaccine Information Resources for Farmers

Anyone who lives or works in NJ is now eligible for a COVID vaccine at any of the vaccine megasites. No appointment needed, see walk-in hours here:
https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/vaccine

Information resources for farmers and farm workers continue to be developed by the CDC and the state of NJ. These resources are easily accessed on the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety COVID website.  This website will be updated as more resources are developed.  Available now on the website:

  • Documentation from NJDOH stating all are eligible for free COVID vaccinations regardless of immigration status
  • Megasite locations and times for walk-in COVID vaccines for anyone 16 years or older
  • COVID vaccine educational posters in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Korean, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese
  • CentraState (Freehold) walk-in vaccine clinic information – May 11th and 15th

Farmers or farm workers with questions about locating a vaccine or other vaccine information may use the email address njfarmvax@njaes.rutgers.edu for assistance.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
April 27, 2021

Agritourism and On-Farm Direct Marketing Webinar Series Begins Tuesday, May 4th

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is working with other extension professionals in the northeastern states to deliver weekly, one-hour webinar programming for agritourism and on-farm direct market operators each Tuesday in May until the first week in June. We are announcing the first session and will post the registration information for more sessions soon. Registration is being handled through the University of Vermont. See information below to join the first webinar. 

Session 1: Getting Ready for Pick-Your-Own — Do’s and Don’ts for the Upcoming Season
Tuesday, May 4, 4:00-5:00pm Eastern time
No charge but you must register in advance.
Register for FREE HERE
People picking berries
Join growers and ag service providers from the Northeast for an interactive discussion about what is working and what is not as we prepare to open our farms to visitors for the upcoming pick-your-own season. The berries are ripening and the Covid-19 pandemic is evolving – what does that mean for PYO visitor management this season? What did you do last year that you’ll continue and what will be different this season?

Featuring:
-Deb Colitas from Valley Fruits & Veggies in the Lehigh Valley of PA
-Claudia Schmidt from Penn State Extension
-Lisa Chase from University of Vermont Extension
-And YOU! Come ready to share your PYO questions and experiences managing visitors.

This is the first agritourism/on-farm direct marketing zoom session in a series that will cover several topics for farms open to visitors through the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Other sessions will be held on consecutive Tuesdays on May 11, 18, 25, and June 1. For more programs and information see the Rutgers NJAES Events Calendar. 

Session 2: Agritourism Operation Checklists and Self-Assessment During the Pandemic, When: May 11, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time – Register HERE

Session 3: What to Do when Something Goes Wrong, Incident Response and Media Relations, When: May 18, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time – Register HERE

Session 4: Liability Insurance, When: May 25, 2021 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern Time – Register HERE

To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Christi Sherlock at 802-476-2003 or Christi.Sherlock@uvm.edu for assistance.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
April 23, 2021

USDA Expands and Renews Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

In an effort to boost enrollment and address climate change, the USDA will open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,