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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March 11, 2024

Four Water Samples Required for Harvest and Post-Harvest Water Under Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule

Growers that have been testing their wells for years have been asking us if that historical data would meet the four-sample requirement for FSMA for the first year and the answer we got from the FDA is NO.

What that means for you:

For harvest and post-harvest water, you are required to test each well for non-detectable generic E. coli four times in the first year. If all initial results meet the numerical requirements of 112.44(a) (no detectable generic E. coli per 100 ml) then you are only required to test those harvest and post-harvest water wells once a year moving forward.

The four-sampling requirement is now in effect for operations over $250,000 and smaller operations ($25,000-250,000) will be required starting in January 2025.  Remember not all wells need to be tested four times.  It is only water from wells used in harvesting or in the packing area which come in direct contact with the produce or the harvesting and packing equipment during cleaning and sanitizing.

Here is the answer we got from the FDA:

“As farms come into compliance with harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements, those growers who are using untreated ground water for the purposes of 112.44(a) must test the water 4x per year initially.  If all initial results meet the numerical requirements of 112.44(a) (no detectable generic E. coli per 100 ml), then the grower may reduce the testing frequency to one sample year, as long as the agricultural water continues to be reflective of use.  FDA may consider guidance on what growers might be able to do with historical data as compliance and implementation guidance is developed.”

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
March 7, 2024

Free webinar: Tools for Weed Identification and Management – March 14

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County will host a free, virtual presentation for farmers:

Tools for Weed Identification and Management

Thursday, March 14, 2024

6:00 to 7:00 p.m

The presenter will be Thierry E. Besançon, PhD, Associate Professor and Extension Weed Science Specialist for Specialty Crops, Rutgers University, Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension.

The informational talk, geared to local farmers, will review some of the available tools (books, apps, etc.) for helping with identification of weeds, cover nonchemical and chemical strategies for controlling weeds, and talk about what the future of weed management looks like.

Advanced registration for this presentation is required. To register, go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/xsvkelyg. You will receive the zoom meeting invitation with your registration confirmation.

For more information, please call 609-465-5115, ext. 3615 or email capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
March 7, 2024 and

USDA just released the new Harmonized GAP Standard and Harmonized Plus+ Standard Audits.

The standards go into effect May 1, 2024.

There are several changes related to section numbers and deleted numbers so if you have your audit plan setup by section number check to make sure they have not changed. Also, eight questions have been added.

Following is a summary of those questions:

  • G 2.4 – Approved service provider list required (the grower approves the list)
  • G 7.2 – A designated recall team is required
  • G 7.3 – Must perform a mock recall exercise annually
  • G 11.5 – Must have labels and instructions for any water treatment chemical used
  • G 11.8 – Compressed air or other gases contacting food or food contact surfaces must be maintained
  • F 6.3 – Must have a procedure for storing and handling growing media (e.g., perlite, peat, rock wool, etc.)
  • F 9.4 – Re-used water must be treated with a labeled product
  • P 5.2 – A master cleaning schedule with standard operating procedures (SOP) must be established ·

There are two documents for each audit: Harmonized GAP Standard (v 3.0) or Harmonized GAP Plus+ standard (v 5.0). Each also have a summary of changes document will be help finding the changes.

Go to:  Harmonized GAP | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov) to download a copy of each standard.

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
March 6, 2024

Take a quick survey to help with Field Equipment Sanitation Research!

In a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant designed to guide future solution and resources centered around field equipment sanitation, collaborative team comprising pathologists, weed scientists, agronomists, and experts in agricultural equipment sanitation has crafted a questionnaire. This questionnaire is designed to gather growers’ input on their current practices and determine the necessity for implementing new ones.

The research will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with field equipment sanitation and work toward developing solutions that are effective, implementable and sustainable.

To introduce the survey and forthcoming research effort, Dr. Matt Grieshop, lead PI on this project indicates that “We are a group of agricultural research and extension professionals from across the United States that are curious about grower and agricultural professional perceptions about the importance of field equipment sanitation to mitigate the spread of organisms that pose human health, weed, plant pathogen or other risks.

Agricultural field equipment includes tillage implements, tractors, harvesters, cultivation equipment, trucks, trailers, sprayers, mowers, or any other piece of equipment that is shared across fields.

This information will be solely used to help frame future research questions and outreach activities.  It will not be published or distributed in any form. Answering should take 5 minutes or less and is completely voluntary and anonymous.

Your participation is invaluable to future developments in the industry regarding food safety and equipment sanitation. We need more inputs from New Jersey specialty crops growers so that they have a say on the direction that field equipment sanitation research will take in the future!

To contribute, visit here or scan the QR code below.


If you have questions, comments or concerns contact Dr. Matt Grieshop at mgriesho@calpoly.edu or Dr. Thierry Besancon at thierry.besancon@rutgers.edu.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
March 1, 2024

Advanced Audit Training – March 5th 9am-12 pm EST

This certificate online class is our last food safety program of the season, so if your auditors or buyers are requiring you to take food safety training and you have not done so for the 2024 season this is the class for you.

What you will learn:

  1. How to Verify that Your Cleaning and Sanitizing Programs are Effective
  2. What are Hazards and What are Risks
  3. What the New Jersey Department of Agriculture is Seeing on Audits and How You Can Prepare
  4. Growers Experience with Audits, a round table discussion

If you have any questions, contact Jenn Matthews at (609) 675-4221

Deadline to Register is March 4, 2024

Register Here

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
February 29, 2024 and

Water Testing Requirements Under the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule for 2024

Does your farm fall under the FSMA: PSR? Find out at this link:   https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4IagP1mbPyrp42N.

The requirements for water management only apply to operations that are not exempt or qualified exempt. Check out the link above to determine whether you fall under an exemption category.

Note:  If you are third party audited (GA/GHP, Harmonized, Global GA, Primus, etc.) continue to follow the water testing requirements for your audit!

Harvest and Post-Harvest Water (including water used to wash hands, washing produce, ice making, hydrocooling, chemical application and for cleaning and sanitizing)

Water Test Requirements:

  • For Public Water: No test required, you need to have a copy of the report from the municipality.
  • For well water: You must test just wells used for harvest and post-harvest four times in the first year and then if there is no detectable generic E. coli on any tests you may test each well once per year after that initial year.
  • For surface water: Untreated surface water is not allowed to be used for harvest and post-harvest purposes.

Compliance Dates:

  • Large Growers (over $500,000): Currently in effect
  • Small Growers ($250,000-$500,000): Currently in effect
  • Very Small Growers ($25,000- $250,000): January 26, 2025

When complying a grower must inspect the agricultural water system that is under their control to determine any hazards. The water source test results must ensure that there is no detectable generic E. coli per 100 ml of water and untreated surface water cannot be used.

If a water test does not meet the criteria for non-detectable generic E. coli the farm must immediately stop using the water. The grower must take several steps before using the water including reinspecting the entire affected agricultural water system, under their control and make corrections or treat the water.

There are other required measures including having a water change schedule; visually monitoring the quality of water (for buildup of organic material) and monitoring the temperature of certain commodities.

The records required include the agricultural water system inspection; water test results; any water treatment; and corrective actions. Review Subpart E sections 112.41-112.48, 112.50, 112.151 and 112.161.

Pre-Harvest (Irrigation, Frost Protection, Sprays) Water

There is some confusion as to whether growers need to test their water for pre-harvest uses in 2024. The pre-harvest irrigation water requirement is still under review by the Food and Drug Administration, so testing is not required in 2024.

What we suggest you do now:

  • For well water: Test once a year
  • For surface water: Test three times a year. (when the pump is started, mid-season and close to harvest.)

This will give the grower a baseline as to the quality of water being used. When the final rule goes into effect the largest growers (over $500,000) will have nine months; small growers ($250,000-500,000) will have 1 year, and nine months and the very small growers ($25,000-250,000) will have two years and nine months to start complying.

Source:  The On-Farm Food Safety Team (Meredith Melendez, Jennifer Matthews and Wesley Kline)

 

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops