Rutgers Cooperative Extension
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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NJ Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations
Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
2026 Central Jersey Vegetable Growers Meeting
Friday, February 20
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Monmouth County Ag Building
4000 Kozloski Road, Freehold, NJ
Registration: $40 per person (includes Continental Breakfast & Lunch)
Registration Brochure: CJVGM Brochure 2026
732-431-7260 or email Catherine.VanBenschoten@co.monmouth.nj.us
Registration by cash, check, or purchase order only.
Agenda:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Pesticide Applicators– David Hlubik, Ph.D.
Vegetable IPM Updates – Amanda Quadrel
Identifying and Differentiating Common Diseases of Cucurbits – Patrick McMullen, Ph.D.
Intercropping Ginger Trials – Lauren Errickson, Ph.D.
Specialty Winter Squash for NJ Growers – David Hlubik, Ph.D.
Resistance Management and the Pesticide Label – What You Need to Know– Kate Brown
Soil Fertility and Nutrition for Plant Health – Joseph Heckman, Ph.D.
Managing Mugwort on Unkempt Farmland Using an Integrated Approach – Matthew Milburn
Making Your Website Work Harder – Justine Gray
Recertification Credits:
Salem County Pesticide Safety Meeting
February 20, 2026
51 Cheney Rd., Woodstown, NJ
To register for morning, afternoon, or both
856-769-0090
molly.english@salemcountynj.gov
| Morning Session: 9 am – Noon. Credits: | CORE: 01 | 1A: 02 | 1B: 01 | 10: 03 | PP2: 02 | | |
| Farmland Preservation in Salem County | State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) staff |
| Pesticide Safety, Storage, Labels, Application | Raman Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| Disease Control in Vegetable Crops | Andy Wyenandt, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| Early Season Pest Management in No-till Corn | Maria Cramer, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| Animal Agricultural Pest Control | Hassan Warriach, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| USDA Program Updates | USDA – NRCS / FSA staff |
| Afternoon Session: 1 pm – 4:30 pm. Credits: | 1A: 03 | 10: 03 | PP2: 03 | | |
| Weed Control in Pastures and Forages | Matthew Elmore, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| Corn Fertility for Yield and Quality | Raman Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| Commodity Market Outlook | Nathaniel Bruce, Delaware Cooperative Extension |
| Agricultural Safety and Emergency Response | Robert DiGregorio, Salem County Sheriff Office |
| Agrivoltaics | Dan Ward, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
| Forage Quality of Hay and Silage | Tess Stahl, Rutgers Cooperative Extension |
Learn about H2A, the federal farm labor program.
Insights about costs, legal considerations, and practical matters, from experts, growers, and NJ Farm Bureau.
February 2nd, 2026
121 Northville Road
Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302
The Event is provided free of charge, but you must RSVP
Lunch and refreshments will be provided
To register, please contact Karen Adams:
adams@udel.edu
302-831-3328
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Check-in / Registration | |
| 10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome | |
| 10:10 – 10:55 | Real Cost of H2A Workers | Nate Bruce, University of Delaware |
| 10:55 – 12:00 | Legal Aspects of the H2A Process | Brandon Davis, Phelps Dunbar LLP Paul Goeringer, University of Maryland |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Lunch | |
| 12:45 – 1:10 | New Jersey Considerations for H2A Workers | Ben Casella, New Jersey Farm Bureau |
| 1:10 – 1:30 | Experiences with the H2A Program and Q&A | Henry Bennett, Bennett Orchards |
| 1:30 – 1:45 | Evaluations |
Speakers, times, and availabilities subject to change.
This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
This event is brought to you jointly by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, a service of the UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, a service of the UMD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources — both are land-grant institutions and are equal opportunity providers. If you have special needs that need to be accommodated, please contact the office two weeks prior to the event.
The NE Agriculture Expo and Rutgers Educational Sessions Start Tuesday 1/20/26 at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, 777 Harrahs Boulevard. The final day of educational sessions and trade show ends on Thursday at 5pm.
The weather may be cold, but no rain or no snow in the forecast, and warm times inside the conference center to network with others in the industry. An afternoon Hospitality Room will be available 12-5pm on Wednesday and Thursday to relax and unwind in the trade show area. Come for the social aspects, education and gain pesticide recertification credits. Check out the Rutgers Educational Program to see what topics you would like to learn about. go.rutgers.edu/2026rutgerseduprog
What’s Happening
January 20 (Tuesday)
January 21 (Wednesday)
January 22 (Thursday)
Registration Options On-Site at the Regitration Counter (hallway of conference center) or On-line https://vganj.com/convention-tickets“>https://vganj.com/convention-tickets
✔️ VGANJ Membership – $100
Includes 2 Expo passes
Additional passes just $25 each
✔️ One-Day Pass – $60
Access to sessions + trade show
Register On-Line to
This event under one roof, packed with education and energy, and celebrating New Jersey agriculture at its best.
Plus, buy your tee shirt or hoodie at the registration desk to “Support New Jersey Farmers” and tout “No Farmers No Food” – new this year.
Cornell University is conducting a needs assessment survey to better understand issues that growers have had with purchased seeds and how these issues are being managed. Click HERE to access the survey.
