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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North Jersey Commercial Vegetable Growers Meeting Program

NORTH JERSEY COMMERCIAL
VEGETABLE GROWERS MEETING

February 27, 2024
8:30 am – 3:30 pm

Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Bldg. 1
Flemington, NJ

Program

 

Program Chair
Peter Nitzsche, Agriculture and Resource Management Agent
Cooperative Extension of Morris County

8:30 – Registration
Coffee and pastry compliments of industry sponsors

9:00 – Welcome and Introductions

9:10 – Vegetable IPM Update
Kris Holmstrom, Research Project Coordinator, Cooperative Extension

9:40 – Update on Farm Service Programs
Laura LaFevre, County Executive Director, Hunterdon / Somerset Office, Farm Service Agency

9:50 – Jersey Fresh Marketing Update
Speaker TBA, Division of Markets, NJ Dept. of Agriculture

10:00 – New Technologies for Weed Management on Vegetables
Thierry Besançon, Specialist in Weed Science, Cooperative Extension

10:30 – Updates on Diseases of Fresh Market Vegetables and their Control
Kris Holmstrom, Research Project Coordinator, Cooperative Extension

11:00 – What is New from Industry

11:10 – Laser Scarecrows: A New Tool for Pest Management in Sweet Corn
Kate Brown, Program Associate, Cooperative Extension of Burlington County

11:40 – Food Safety Modernization Act, Produce Safety Rule Agriculture Water Update
Meredith Melendez, ANR Agent, Cooperative Extension of Mercer County

12:10 – LUNCHEON (pre-registration required)

1:10 – Respiratory Protection for WPS-Labeled Pesticides
Patricia Hastings, Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator, Cooperative Extension

2:10 – VSA – Vacationer Supported Agriculture: A New Marketing Model
Claudia Gil Arroyo, ANR Agent, Cooperative Extension of Cape May County

2:30 – Understanding and Managing Blossom End Rot in Vegetable Crops
Michelle Infante-Casella, ANR Agent, Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County

3:00 – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJDEP PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS ARE ANTICIPATED

Click here and fill out this form to register for the meeting then fax or email to:
Fax: (908) 806-4735
E-mail: kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

If you have any question please call Kim Crommelin: (908)-788-1338

 

2024 South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting

Date:                           March 12, 2024 (Tue)
Location:                    Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Pre-Registration:       Required, by March 11th.  Contact Joan Medany at (856) 224 – 8030 or  jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
                                    $20.00 (Checks only, made out to Rutgers University). Lunch, Coffee and Pastries Included
Pesticide Credits:      Requested for – CORE, PP2, 10, 1A [Read more…]

Deadline February 29, 2024 NJDA is offering USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Grants

The NJDA is offering USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Grants. The deadline for grant submissions is February 29th. For more information visit the NJDA grant site: Department of Agriculture | Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Grants

Types of projects that could be funded include:
• Expanding processing capacities, including adding product types, increasing production volumes, and supporting new wholesale/retail, product lines;
• Modernizing equipment or facilities through upgrades, repairs, or retooling; (e.g., adapting product lines for institutional procurement or adding parallel processing capacity);
• Purchase and installation of specialized equipment, such as processing components, sorting equipment, packing and labeling equipment, or delivery vehicles;
• Modernizing manufacturing, tracking, storage, and information technology systems;
• Enhancing worker safety through adoption of new technologies or investment in equipment or facility improvements; Construction of a new facility;
• Increasing packaging and labeling capacities that meet compliance requirements under applicable laws (e.g. sealing, bagging, boxing, labeling, conveying, and product moving equipment);
• Increasing storage space, including cold storage;
• Develop, customize, or install climate-smart equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency in water use, improves air and/or water quality, and/or meets one or more of USDA’s climate action goals;
• Modernize equipment or facilities to ensure food safety, including associated Hazard, Analysis, and Critical Control Points (HACCP) consultation, plan development and employee training;
• Training on the use of all equipment purchased under the grant and associated new processes.

Contact at NJDA:

Deelip Mhaske
Grants Administrator
Division of Marketing & Development New
Jersey Department of Agriculture
PO Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625-0330

Phone: 609-913-6628 Fax: 609-984-2508
E-mail: deelip.mhaske@ag.nj.gov

Cape May County Board of Ag Industry Night – March 4, 2024

The Cape May County Board of Agriculture will hold it’s first annual Industry Night!  March 4, 2024 from 6-8pm.

There will be vendors, free dinner, and a 45 minute talk from 6-6:45pm, with Patricia Hastings, Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator for NJ, titled Pesticide Safety & Compliance Tools for New Jersey Growers!  Her talk has been approved for Pesticide credits: 1 unit each CORE; PP2; 1A

It is a great opportunity to network with other farmers/vintners/aquaculturists in Cape May County. Please RSVP by February 28th.

To RSVP or if you have any questions contact Jennifer Sawyer Caraballo at sawyer@njaes.rutgers.edu or at (609) 465 5115 ext. 3615.

SAVE THE DATES! North Jersey

North Jersey Commercial Vegetable Grower Meeting

February 27, 2024

&

North Jersey Commercial Fruit Grower Meeting

March 13, 2024

 

Hunterdon County Complex

314 State Route 12, Bldg. #1

Flemington, New Jersey 08822

8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Program and registration details forthcoming

Business Succession Planning for Farmers – February 29

Cape May County RCE will host a presentation for farmers, “Business Succession Planning for Farmers,” from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 29, 2024. The free program will take place at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, 355 Court House – South Dennis Road, CMCH, NJ 08210.

The presenter will be Keith Dickinson, CFP®, CAC, Business Consultant, Certified Financial PlannerTM, Certified Agricultural Consultant with Farm Credit East.

The informational talk will explain how you can transition your farm business to the next generation without unnecessary problems and worry, what will happen to your farm when you die, and how to avoid the fights and problems that commonly occur when family farms transition.

To register go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/1ivomziz. For more information, please call (609) 465-5115, ext. 3601 or email capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Business Succession Planning for Farmers
Free informational talk. February 29 from 6pm until 8pm at the Cape May County RCE. For more information call 609 465 5115 ext. 601 or email us at capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu