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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January 8, 2025

Central Jersey Vegetable Growers Meeting

February 14th, 2025

8:30 am – 2:30 pm

at the Monmouth County Agricultural Building

4000 Kozloski Road

Freehold, NJ  07728

Registration: $40 (includes morning refreshments and lunch)

CJVGM Brochure 2025

For registration questions, contact Cathy VanBenschoten at 732-431-7260

or email to Catherine.VanBenschoten@co.monmouth.nj.us

DEP Pesticide Credits Applied For:

CORE – TBD

1A – TBD

PP2 – TBD

10 – TBD

 

Agenda  

8:30 am to 9:00 am: Registration

9:00 am to 10:00 am (1 hour): Pesticide Safety for Applicators and Handlers

George Hamilton, Ph.D. – Specialist in Pest Management, Rutgers, NJAES, RCE

Safe and effective use of pesticides is essential for controlling pests of vegetables, while protecting human health and the environment. This presentation will focus on the proper storage and use of pesticides and the requirements for training and record keeping applicable to commercial vegetable growers. Dr. Hamilton is an extension specialist and chair of the department of entomology at Rutgers University. He has been involved with the initial certification and recertification of New Jersey’s pesticide applicators since 1986.

 

10:00 am to 11:00 am (1 hour): Updates on Vegetable Disease Control

Andy Wyenandt, Ph.D. – Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers, NJAES

Crop losses due to vegetable diseases impact commercial growers every season. As new research findings emerge, our controls are becoming more efficient and effective for addressing these persistent challenges. This presentation fill focus on updates for controlling important diseases in vegetable production as well as new information in the 2023-2024 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations.

 

11:00 am to 11:15 am (15 minutes): BREAK

 

11:15 am to 11:45 am (30 minutes): Updates from the Vegetable IPM Program (Pre-recorded presentation)

Amanda Quadrel – Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers NJAES

Managing insect pests continues to be a major problem for commercial vegetable growers in New Jersey. This talk will discuss important updates to the Rutgers Vegetable IPM program, such as new personnel, new trapping protocols, techniques or products to consider for the upcoming season, and updates on pests and pesticide resistance.

 

11:45 – 12:15 (30 minutes): Industry and Service Provider Updates

 

12:15 pm to 1:00 pm (45 minutes): LUNCH

 

1:00 – 1:30 pm (30 minutes): Food Safety Update for NJ Farms

Meredith Melendez – County Agent, Mercer, Rutgers NJAES, RCE

This talk will provide an Update of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule agricultural water regulations for the 2025 growing season, clarification on NJ Cottage Food Law ingredient allowances, and how gleaning activities can impact your FSMA PSR inspection.

 

1:30 pm to 2:00 pm (30 minutes): Laser Scarecrows for Bird Damage Control

Kate Brown – County Agent, Somerset, Rutgers NJAES, RCE

This presentation will introduce growers to lasers, how they work, and their role in the bird damage control toolbox. The primary goals of this presentation are to describe results from local and regional efficacy trials, highlight laser safety practices, and provide an overview of how lasers are currently being utilized on four NJ farms.

 

2:00 pm to 2:30 pm (30 minutes): Beginner Farmer Program Update

Bill Hlubik – County Agent, Middlesex, Rutgers NJAES, RCE

Matt Milburn – Program Associate, Middlesex, RCE

This presentation will provide an update on the Rutgers RU Ready to Farm Beginner Farmer Training Program and ask the group for input on practical applied research and programs the farmers would like to see in 2025 and beyond.

 

This Annual Event is brought to you by Rutgers Cooperative Extension

 

Filed Under: Food Safety, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
January 7, 2025

Stop the Bleed Training at NJACTS

Stop the Bleed logoUncontrolled bleeding after injury is a primary cause of preventable death. Are you prepared to stop a life-threatening bleed?

Stop the Bleed® training will teach you how to control bleeding through application of pressure, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. You are invited to attend an upcoming Stop the Bleed® training to be hosted at the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show on Thursday, February 6, 2025 from 10 AM to 12 PM. 

To attend, you must first register for the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show. Single and multi-day passes are available on the VGANJ website.

Space is limited to 30 participants. Email Kate Brown (Ag Agent, RCE-Somerset County) at kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu to secure your spot. Please include participant’s name and a contact phone number. Registrants will receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Questions? Email kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
December 18, 2024

Register Before December 31 for Bonuses at the 2025 NJ Ag Convention

Have you signed up for the 2025 New Jersey Agricultural Convention and Trade Show yet?
Visit the VGANJ Convention Website and register today!

It’s incredibly simple! Here’s a pro tip: Become a member of the Vegetable Growers Association to enjoy all the benefits, even if you don’t grow vegetables, and save on convention registration fees by becoming a member. Everyone must register to enter the trade show and participate in educational sessions and other events sponsored by the VGANJ. 

Make sure to register by December 31st to receive two complimentary drink tickets (per registered individual) for use at the trade show bars after 2 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday. Plus, you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift card for meals during your time in Atlantic City!

Don’t forget to check the VGANJ website for the exciting new educational sessions for 2025.

Also, on Tuesday there will be a special free “Lunch and Learn” program to engage with vendors and participate in a Q&A session with the new Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Wengryn.
*FREE lunch tickets only for the first 100 farmers Tuesday who sign up for the “Lunch and Learn” at the registration desk on Tuesday morning. Lunch starts at 12:00.

On Wednesday, February 5th the VGANJ will be honoring the NJ Vegetable Grower of the Year. For 2025 the honoree is Brian Porch from Salem County, NJ. Come help us celebrate our awardee and the NJDA awardees at the banquet. Tickets are now available online through VGANJ. See the VGANJ Convention Website to sign up for the banquet and other special events.

Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape, work shop Tagged With:
December 18, 2024

Hurry – Apply for the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Program– Applications Due January 8, 2025 – Contact Your Local FSA Office Now

The MASC program, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) using Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds, provides eligible specialty crop producers with marketing assistance payments to help them engage in activities that aid in expanding domestic specialty crop markets or in developing new markets for their specialty crops in 2025.

SPECIALTY CROPS ELIGIBLE – Fruits (fresh, dried) Nursery crops, Christmas trees, and floriculture, Vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seed) Culinary and medicinal herbs and spices, Tree nuts, Honey, hops, maple sap, tea, turfgrass, and grass seed. Payments are capped at $125,000 per producer, and if demand exceeds the allocated $2 billion, payments may be prorated. Final payment factors will be determined after the application period closes.

To be eligible for payments, persons or legal entities must:
• Be in the business of producing a specialty crop at the time of application and be entitled to an ownership share and share in the risk of producing a specialty crop that will be sold in calendar year 2025;
• Be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other organizational structure organized under State law, Indian Tribe or Tribal Organization, or a foreign person or foreign entity who meets certain eligibility requirements;
• Comply with the provisions of the “Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation” regulations, often called the conservation compliance provisions;
• Not have a controlled substance violation;
• Submit a complete MASC application form (FSA-1140) and provide all required documentation as specified in the documents section below.
To be eligible for payments, a person or legal entity must have an average adjusted gross income (AGI) of less than $900,000 for tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023, unless the person or legal entity’s average adjusted gross farm income is at least 75 percent of their average AGI.

Eligible producers can apply by completing the FSA-1140, Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Application, and submitting it to any FSA county office by January 8, 2025.

FSA-1141, Marketing Assistance For Specialty Crops (MASC) New Producer Expected Sales Worksheet (New producers only)
New producers must complete and sign the new producer expected sales worksheet and provide along with their FSA-1140 to any Farm Service Agency county office nationwide.

See link for more information: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/tools/informational/fact-sheets/marketing-assistance-specialty-crops-program 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Uncategorized, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: ,
December 12, 2024

Survey on Corn Earworm Management Practices and Costs in Sweet Corn

If you are a fresh-market grower of sweet corn, the regional Corn Earworm IPM team would like your input! The CEW IPM team includes entomologists and extension specialists across multiple states and institutions, such as the Northeastern and Southeastern IPM Centers and universities in NJ, NY, DE, MD, NC, VA, and GA.

This short survey aims to gather information on your current CEW control practices and their associated costs. This information will be used to evaluate how alternative CEW control practices can affect grower costs, sales, and financial performance. Most importantly, your participation will help us help you; this information will guide future recommendations for more sustainable management practices you can implement on your farms.

Note that this survey is aimed at fresh-market growers; a separate survey will be sent out for those who grow sweet corn for processing.

To take the survey online, please use this link. If you prefer, here is a PDF version of the survey to print and fill out. For more information on the regional CEW team/project, visit CEWIPM.org for the latest updates. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
December 4, 2024 , , and

Draft Rules For Dual-Use Solar Energy Pilot Program & Public Information Session

On December 2, 2024, the NJ Board of Public Utilities posted draft rules for the Dual-Use Solar Energy (agrivoltaics) Pilot Program that was enacted by the NJ State Legislature. The purpose of the posting is to elicit public input by the January 31, 2025 deadline. The draft rules in the NJ Register are available to review here:  https://go.rutgers.edu/Dual-Use-Solar-Rules
There will be a public information session (presentation and Q&A) about the draft rules on the morning of December 17. More details about this session are available here: https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/public/
Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , ,