Organic Farm Advisory

The Plant & Pest Advisory serves NJ growers by reporting on important pests and recommending responses that are grounded in reproducible trials.

Articles in this section contain information helpful to the NJ commercial organic grower.

Sharing organic practice trial results between land-grant universities is a cost effective way to create a common knowledge base built on the strengths of individual programs. In the sidebar, find institutions with programs in organic agriculture which augment knowledge developed at the Rutgers New Jersey Ag Experiment Station.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Field Guides: These concise guides help with decision making from pre-planting to harvest. For each crop listed, learn what pests to proactively look for as the season progresses, how to look for them, and when to take action.

Field Guide List

March 2, 2025

USDA Extends Deadline For The 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties

Trenton, NJ – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will continue to collect the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties through April 18, 2025. Conducted just once every five years, the Census of Horticultural Specialties is the only source of detailed production and sales data for U.S. floriculture, nursery, and specialty crop industries, including greenhouse food crops.

Growers are encouraged to complete their survey either online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail as soon as possible. The online questionnaire is user-friendly, accessible on most electronic devices, and saves producers time by calculating totals and automatically skipping questions that do not apply to their operations.

NASS enumerators will also continue gathering data and ask respondents to complete and return their survey form as soon as possible. If those who have received the form are no longer involved in horticultural operations, or need assistance completing the questionnaire, they can call toll-free, 888-424-7828 so their record can be updated.

Producers who receive the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties are required to respond by federal law (Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113), as it is part of the Census of Agriculture program. That same law also requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential.

“This is a great opportunity to show the importance of New Jersey food grown under cover,” stated Bruce Eklund, USDA/NASS NJ State Statistician. “Our end-of-the-year vegetable survey, for example, only shows crops grown in the open.” Growers should have received the survey via mail and or a specific survey code to complete the survey online. If you can’t locate the survey or your code, please contact Bruce at 503.308.0404 or by email at bruce.eklund@usda.gov.

The 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties data is scheduled to be available on December 16, 2025, at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus and in the Quick Stats database at quickstats.nass.usda.gov. For more about the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties, please visit nass.usda.gov/go/hort.

NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Organic Production, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
February 28, 2025

South Jersey Spring Vegetable Growers Meeting

DATE: Thursday, March 27, 2025
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County
Shady Lane Complex, 254 County House Rd, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
(Please enter through the far-right side of the building up the first ramp)

CO- SPONSORED BY THE VEGETABLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY
NO REGISTRATION NEEDED

 

6:00 -6:30PM Sign in and Light Dinner

6:30-7:00PM Rutgers Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Update
Amanda Quadrel, Sr. Program Coordinator, Vegetable IPM, RCE

7:00-7:30PM Update on the Water Requirements for the Produce Safety Rule
Wes Kline, Ag Agent, RCE Cumberland County

7:30-8:00PM Update on Disease Control in Vegetable Crops
Andy Wyenandt, Rutgers NJAES Vegetable Pathologist

8:00-8:30PM Labor and Regulatory Updates from NJ Farm Bureau
Ben Casella, NJFB

8:30-9:00PM USEPA/NJDEP Worker Protection Standards Overview for Pesticide Safety
Michelle Infante-Casella, Ag Agent, RCE Gloucester County

9:00PM Pesticide Recertification credits – CREDITS INCLUDE: 1-CORE, 3-PP2, 3-Cat. 1A, 2-Cat. 10

Contact the RCE of Gloucester County Office for more information 856-224-8040 ext. 1 or email Michelle Infante-Casella at minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu 

Pesticide Recertification Credits have been requested from NJDEP for this meeting – TBD.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Organic Production, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
February 10, 2025 , , and

Don’t Forget Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training Available

This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on their farms.

For 2025:

  • Application is due between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026
  • Eligible expenses must be between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025

Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) by working directly with the Farm Service Agency offices at your local FSA office for details. Applications will be accepted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or electronic means.

How the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program Works

The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in 2025. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements.  FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses.

Program Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for FSCSC applicants are outlined below. We recommend you review these requirements before initiating your FSCSC application.

To be eligible for FSCSC, an applicant must:

  • Have obtained or renewed: 2025 food safety certification issued during the calendar year.
  • Be a specialty crop operation (growing fresh fruits and vegetables); and meet the definition of a small business or medium size business.
  • A small (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of not more than $500,000.
  • A medium (farm) business means an applicant that had an average annual monetary value of specialty crops the applicant sold during the 3-year period preceding the program year of at least $500,001 but no more than $1,000,000.
Category of Eligible Expenses Payment Amount of Eligible Costs
Developing a Food Safety Plan for First Time Certification                      75% (no maximum)
Maintaining or Updating a Food Safety Plan                      75% up to $675
Food Safety Certification                      75% up to $2,000
Certification Upload Fees                      75% up to $375
Microbiological Testing of Produce                      75% up to 5 tests
Microbiological Testing of Soil Amendments                      75% up to 5 tests
Microbiological Testing of Water                      75% up to 5 tests
Training Expenses                      100% up to $500

FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs based on the percentages and maximum payment amounts.  The FSCSC application and associated forms are available online at  farmers.gov/food-safety.

You are encouraged to contact the Farm Service Agency office about FSCSC, program eligibility, or the application process. You may also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to provide one-on-one assistance.

For food safety resources, information on the Food Safety Modernization Act and third party audits go to Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, training, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
February 4, 2025

Gleaning: Produce Safety Best Practices

Allowing gleaners on your farm is a wonderful way to provide nutritious high-quality food to food insecure communities. Gleaners can unknowingly contaminate produce, a thirteen minute training video has been developed for volunteer gleaners focusing on produce safety.  This video is available on the Rutgers NJAES YouTube site and soon on the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety site. A companion quiz was created for use to take after watching the video to test the knowledge of the gleaner on best practices.  A certificate of completion is displayed once the questions have been answered correctly.  We encourage farmers and gleaning organizations to stress the importance of produce safety during the gleaning process through education and support the health and hygiene practices of gleaners.  Best practices covered in the video are discussed in the Q&A below.

How should a farm support gleaner health and hygiene?
The gleaning organization should be aware of what you expect to supply gleaners while they are at your farm and know what they need to provide themselves.

  • Restrooms and hand washing stations should be available in the location that gleaning will take place
  • Restrooms and handwashing stations should be stocked and ready to use
  • First aid supplies should be provided at a central location

What information should you supply the gleaning organization?
Clear communication channels before and during the gleaning process are important!

  • The contact information of the person at the farm who is responsible in case there is an emergency, or if something goes wrong
  • Location/s at the farm where gleaners are permitted to harvest
  • Location of restrooms and handwashing stations
  • Crops that will be harvested and any needed tools or containers that the gleaning organization should provide
  • Information specific to animal activities in the field that could result in feces in the field or feeding damage from wildlife
  • Any areas of the farm that gleaners must not enter

What information should the gleaning organization communicate to gleaners before they arrive at a gleaning event?
While many gleaning events happen last minute, and gleaner participation may be tentative, it is important that this information is shared with them prior to the event to help facilitate good practices.

  • Signs and symptoms of illness that would prevent them from gleaning
  • Appropriate clothing to wear while gleaning
  • Hand jewelry should not be worn while gleaning
  • Tools and gloves from home should not be used, gleaners should only use items supplied by the farm or the gleaning organization
  • Snacks and non-water beverages are not permitted in the field
  • The training video should be viewed prior to all gleaning participation

What information should gleaners understand about identifying produce that is safe to glean?
Gleaners should understand what produce can and cannot be harvested.

  • Do not harvest produce that has fallen off of the plant and is on the ground
  • Do not harvest produce that was dropped on the ground during harvest or transportation
  • Do not harvest produce that is visibly contaminated with fecal matter
  • Do not harvest produce that may be contaminated with fecal matter

What information should the farmer share with the gleaning coordinator and gleaners once they have arrived at the farm?
Information should be provided to gleaners at the start of the event to remind them of your expectations while gleaning. Volunteers showing up late must be informed of this same information and should know to check in with the gleaning coordinator.

  • Restroom and handwashing station locations
  • Importance of washing hands including when to wash them
  • First aid kit and injury handling procedures
  • Harvesting procedures and how to use tools if needed
  • The process to avoid placing harvest containers on the ground, such as using a bottom bin to stack on top of with other bins, with the bottom bin not harvested into
  • Gleaners should not use tools or gloves from home

What behaviors should I expect to see gleaners doing while gleaning to ensure produce safety?

  • Not eating or drinking non-water beverages in the field
  • Not eating produce while they are gleaning
  • Washing hands at appropriate times:
    • Prior to the start of gleaning
    • After using the restroom
    • After eating, drinking, smoking
    • Anytime their hands may become contaminated
  • Awareness of and staying away from fecal material in the field
  • Communicating with the gleaning coordinator when:
    • Fecal material found in the field
    • An injury occurs
    • Someone begins to feel ill
    • Restroom or handwashing facility issues

For more information on produce safety, and details on why the above best practices were targeted for the harvesting of produce visit the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Essentials webpage.  To access the gleaner produce safety training visit the Rutgers NJAES YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grIGTneupd8 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
January 28, 2025 , , and

FSMA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE GROWER TRAINING

February 6, 2025 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Pre-Registration Required Deadline to register online is Monday February 3

 New Jersey Vegetable Growers Convention at Harrah’s Waterfront, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ

 This training fulfills the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that at least one person from each farm needs to receive a standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA.

Topics Include:

  • Introduction to Produce Safety
  • Worker Health, Hygiene & Training
  • Soil Amendments
  • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals & Land Use
  • Agricultural Water – Production Water
  • Agricultural Water – Postharvest Water
  • Postharvest Handling & Sanitation
  • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

Each attendee will receive a grower manual and be eligible for a certificate from the Association of Food & Drug Officials of the United States (AFDO). Note: Each participant must stay the entire training to be eligible for the certificate of training.

The cost is $50/per person,

Registration is separate from the registration fee to the Vegetable Growers Convention.

*Participants must be registered with VGANJ for the convention to attend this workshop.

For more information, email Jennifer at jmatthews@njaes.rutgers.edu

(Lunch is on your own)

Register at:  https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/fsmaac/

This training is partly funded through grants from the United States Department of Agriculture & the Food & Drug Administration.

Note:

Financial Assistance for Food Safety Certification and Training is available from the USDA Farm Service Agency. This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on the farm. For more information on this program please go to: Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops for Program Years 2024 and 2025

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, training, Tree Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
January 17, 2025

Take the NJ Organic and Regenerative Farming Survey

The New Jersey State Organic and Regenerative Farming Board, in collaboration with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, is conducting an anonymous online survey to better understand organic and/or regenerative farmers production practices, current resources used, and needs. Fill Out the survey here: https://go.rutgers.edu/z23g6ei7

Who can take the survey: Farm business owners, prospective farmers, agricultural service providers, farm employees are invited to participate in this survey.

What will be done with the survey results: This information will be used to justify program creation, budget requests, and resources developed.

Survey Incentives: Respondents are eligible to receive a Jersey Fresh baseball cap, courtesy of the NJ Department of Ag. Show a screenshot confirmation of survey completion to a ORF board member to receive your cap. Caps will be given out in person at the NOFA-NJ conference on 1/25 and the NJ Ag Convention on Feb 4-6

Survey Link: https://go.rutgers.edu/z23g6ei7

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops