Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Bldg. #1
Flemington, New Jersey 08822
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Program and registration details forthcoming
We are only days away from the start of the 2025 NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show at Harrah’s in Atlantic City starting on February 3rd to February 6th. The convention has evolved over the years to include much more than vegetable topics. See the graphic below or the VGANJ website convention program for a list of expanded topics.
Nursery growers – we have a full day for you. Do you raise livestock? We have a new session for you. Want to learn about agricultural policies? Come to the session on Tuesday morning hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension Director, Brian Schilling and colleagues from the State Agricultural Development Committee. Need to learn about Food Safety Regulations, we have both a session and a workshop for you. USDA will be hosting sessions on Tuesday to promote programs for farmers. There are too many more topics to put into text so please check out the program on the VGANJ website.
Need pesticide recertification credits? This year the workshops and sessions will help you fulfill the obligation to obtain those credits. Monday afternoon hosts a 6-CORE credit workshop that requires a separate special registration. Check out the program and how to register on the VGANJ website.
Have you registered for your hotel rooms yet? If not please use the room block and register online at https://book.passkey.com/GO/SHVEG5 or call to make Room Reservations on the phone at 1-888-516-2215 (8:00am-2:00am EST, 7 days a week), Group Name: New Jersey Vegetable Growers. Group Code: SHVEG5. There are plenty of rooms left in the room block, but the pre-registration ends soon, so reserve your rooms today. Please reserve your rooms through the group block to help us meet our obligations for the convention contract.
Don’t miss the great Tuesday events. There is a FREE “Lunch and Learn” on Tuesday (sign up for tickets at registration on Tuesday, limited to 100 participants) in the back area of the trade show hall with time to meet with vendors and also discussion with the new NJ Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Wengryn. Tuesday night hosts a charity auction and if you attended last year, you know how great this event is with food, drink, and time to catch up with old friends and make new friends in farming. Thanks to VGANJ Secretary, Darcy Perehinys the Tuesday events will once again have amazing food! Lots of prizes from our sponsors will be available for bid at the Charity Auction. If you haven’t attended this event in the past, don’t miss it this year as it is much improved from years past. Tuesday is a big day and with the Lunch and Learn and Charity Auction Happy Hour – if you attend both these events you can eat for free!!!!
One more event you won’t want to miss is the annual awards banquet on Wednesday night. Tickets can now be purchased online on the VGANJ website. This year’s NJ Vegetable Grower of the Year award goes to Brian Porch, of Porch Farms in Salem County, NJ. The award will be presented by VGANJ President, Jim Abma. Come help us celebrate Brian and all the other award winners who will be honored by the NJ Department of Agriculture.
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.
It is that time of year again to sign up for the annual NJ Agricultural Convention, co-sponsored by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Visit the VGANJ website at https://vganj.com/convention-tickets to register.
For 2025 there are new and exciting opportunities to learn about all aspects of the agricultural industry at the educational sessions and from vendors at the trade show. If you came last year, you also saw many new improvements to the convention – more vendors, more educational sessions, a complimentary lunch (limited free tickets) on Tuesday highlighting “what’s new from industry”, a complimentary hot buffet at the Tuesday happy hour/charity auction, youth programs for FFA, and co-convention events with the NJ Department of Agriculture. These offerings and more are coming for 2025. New events like Monday afternoon workshops, a livestock session, an agricultural policy session, an environmental session, and others are confirmed for this coming year. Licensed pesticide applicators will see an increase in recertification credits on the program for 2025.
To check out the educational programming and NJDEP recertification credits for pesticide applicators see https://go.rutgers.edu/ConvProgram2025 – this is a draft program. Also, note that some events need special sign-up so read the program carefully to see what events need pre-registration.
NJ State Board of Agriculture information for the convention is coming soon. Check out their website at Department of Agriculture | Conventions.
If you have any questions about the VGANJ registration, go to https://vganj.com/#contact. If you need more information about the educational programs please contact the Rutgers Co-Chairs for the convention – bamka@njaes.rutgers.edu Bill Bamka, Agricultural Agent in Burlington County, or minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent in Gloucester County.
Cape May County Agriculture and Natural Resources will host an October Twilight Meeting for South Jersey Farmers on Thursday, October 17 from 7:00PM – 9:00 PM at Cape May Winery, 711 Townbank Road, Cape May, NJ 08204.
The program will include presentations on Soil Health is Always a Good Investment, IPM for specialty crops in New Jersey including tree fruit crops, small fruits, and vegetables, Pesticide safety, non-hazardous pest control methods, label literacy and how to avoid the 3 most common violations, and the Labor availability and Labor regulations that impact agriculture. Also, pesticide recertification credits will be awarded: CORE (1), 1A (1), 10 (1), and PP2 (1).
Please RSVP by Oct 15 to Jocelyn at 609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or email capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu.
We invite ALL horticulture professionals (nursery, greenhouse, Christmas tree, vegetable, row crops, fruit, turf management, arborist, landscape professionals, etc.) to attend the following educational sessions surrounding overall plant health topics, pest management principals, and pesticide use and safety considerations. The events on Thursday October 10th and Tuesday October 15th will be virtual (& free), and Tuesday October 22nd will be in-person ($30 fee) at the Cumberland County RCE building (see below).
The virtual courses will count as in-person credits so long as you follow these instructions.
Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe. Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training series.
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October 10th (TH) – virtual:
5:30-6:00pm: Login and ID verification: 5:30 – 6:00pm, (Poll #1 at 6:00pm)
6:00 – 7:00PM: Beech Leaf Disease & Experimental Treatment Options – Jean Epiphan RCE
7:15-8:15PM: How Chemicals Work and Which to Use – Tim Waller RCE
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October 15th (TU) – virtual:
5:30-6:00pm: Login and ID verification: 5:30 – 6:00pm, (Poll #1 at 6:00pm)
6:00 – 7:00PM: Root Disease Management in Plants – Tim Waller RCE
7:15-8:15PM: Designing a Pesticide Regime – Tim Waller RCE
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October 22nd (TU) – IN-PERSON (Cumberland County RCE – 291 Morton Ave. Millville, NJ 08332)
5:30-6:00pm: Arrival and sign in.
6:00 – 8:15PM: Horticultural Plant Health – CORE 101– Tim Waller RCE
Credits obtained: 4 each – CORE, 1A, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6B, 8C, PP2
