October 6, 2026

Agricultural Drone Training Opportunity for New Jersey Commercial Farmers

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering a valuable training opportunity for New Jersey commercial farmers on Friday, November 6, and Friday, November 13, 2026, at the Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, 140 Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, NJ.

Through a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Grant, the Rutgers Agricultural Drone Team, led by Agricultural Agent Stephen Komar, is offering a two-day agricultural drone training at no cost to participating farmers. Grant funding for this course is specifically intended to provide drone training to commercial farmers in New Jersey.

The course will prepare participants to learn how to obtain their FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107), which is required to operate drones for commercial agricultural purposes. Training will include information and resources to help participants prepare for the Part 107 certification examination. On the second day, participants will also receive hands-on instruction and have the opportunity to fly drones at the Rutgers Snyder Research Farm.

Limited Enrollment — Please Commit to Both Days

Enrollment is limited to 10 participants. Those pre-registered prior to the class being filled, will receive access to training materials for studying and practice tests to help prepare for the Part 107 certification exam.

Because space and training materials are limited, please register only if you are able to attend both November 6 and November 13. If you register and do not attend, you may prevent another New Jersey farmer from participating in this training opportunity.

To ensure that the training is available to as many farms as possible, registration is limited to one person per farm. Participants must also be 18 years of age or older.

Please see the bulletin below for additional information.

Registration:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/EU6CBcmpBG

Questions Contact:
Stephen Komar, Agricultural Agent
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County
Email: komar@njaes.rutgers.edu
Phone: 973-948-3040, ext. 3

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, training, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
October 1, 2026

2027 Rutgers Educational Sessions at NE Agricultural Expo in Atlantic City

Everyone should be very excited for this event in 2027. The NE Agriculture Expo and Rutgers Educational Sessions will begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2027 at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, 777 Harrahs Boulevard. The final day of educational sessions and trade show ends on Thursday, January 21, 2027. The trade show already has an abundance of vendors signed up for booths in 2027.

The planning committee for the expo is looking forward to providing many new opportunities, and Rutgers has confirmed many new speakers to offer excellent information, covering various topics from the 2026 growing season and research results to help farmers improve their practices. The Harrah’s conference center offers the best layout in Atlantic City for this convention. Come for the opportunity to network with others in the industry, to learn from over 72 presenters on a diversity of topics, and to gain pesticide recertification credits to keep your applicator’s license current. To register and for more information from the organizing association, go to the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ’s website at https://vganj.com.

Please see the DRAFT Rutgers Educational Program below. Pesticide credits have been applied for with NJ DEP. When the credits are assigned this program will be republished and promoted with credits.

 

Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Strawberry, training, Tree Fruit, Turf, Uncategorized, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape, work shop Tagged With: , , , ,
August 25, 2026 and

Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting 2 – This Coming Monday!

Please join us Monday, August 31, 2026, from 6:00–8:30 p.m. at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Salem County in Woodstown for an evening of timely field crop production updates.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension – Salem County
51 Cheney Road, Woodstown, NJ

Program begins at 6:00 p.m.; please arrive early.

Schedule & Topics

6:00 p.m. – Welcome & Introduction – Salvatore Mangiafico and Ramandeep Kumar Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

6:15 p.m. – Sulfur in Coastal Soils – Jarrod Miller, University of Delaware

6:45 p.m. – Sweet Corn Pest Management Updates: Scouting, IPM Strategies, and Responsible Pesticide Use – Amanda Quadrel, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

7:15 p.m. – Assessment of Agricultural Crop Damage by Black Bear in New Jersey – Salvatore Mangiafico, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

7:45 p.m. – Corn Lodging Insights and Agronomic Research Updates – Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

8:15 p.m. – Wrap-Up, Evaluations, and Pesticide Credit Submissions

Pesticide Recertification Credits (Credits are pending NJDEP approval)

Credits have been applied for: CORE (1), 1A (2), PP2 (2), and Category 10 (1)

Registration

Phone: 856-769-0090
Email: e_dehart@salemcountynj.gov

Please save the date and join us for an evening of practical information and discussion relevant to New Jersey field crop production.

We look forward to seeing you August 31!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, pesticide credits, training, Uncategorized, work shop
August 17, 2026

Farmer Health and Wellness Services Available for Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Atlantic Counties

Could your farm or a local agricultural event benefit from free health and wellness services? The Pinelands Alliance, in partnership with NOFA-NJ and Virtua Health, was awarded a SARE grant entitled “Mobilizing for Farmer Wellness” which aims to bring health screenings and education to farmers and farmworkers in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Atlantic Counties.

The following health and wellness services could be provided at individual farms or at community events. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please contact Annie Preston from the Pinelands Alliance at annie@pinelandsalliance.org or 301-675-0729.

Virtua Health Services (need 30 to 60 days advance notice)

  • Eat Well Mobile Grocery Store and Mobile Farmers Market – accepts SNAP, sometimes can be a free produce giveaway
  • Mobile Pediatric Screening Units: Screenings for children 6 and under: vision, hearing, dental, developmental; School and sports physicals for birth -12th grade; Flu vaccinations for all ages, including adults; Blood lead level screening for children under 6 and pregnant or lactating people
  • Women’s Cancer Screening for insured and uninsured patients – need a minimum of 15 people to pre-register
  • Cancer education
  • Stop the Bleed First Aid and Tourniquet Trainings (class for up to 24 people at a time)
  • Dietitians and nutrition educators
  • Blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1c screenings (A1c needs temperature-controlled environment).
  • Health Education and Stress First Aid
  • Speakers representing a variety of medical specialties (subject to availability)

 Cherry Hill Free Clinic (need 2 weeks advance notice)

  • Men’s Cancer Screenings
  • Hepatology
  • Diabetes care
  • Vaccines (Gardasil, pneumovax, Shingrix).
  • 20 medical specialties (subject to availability)
  • Patients can use their Uber business account to book rides to the clinic, lab, and imaging appointments
  • Remote patient monitoring including at-home glucometer kits, BP cuffs, and blood glucose implants. Good for up to 2 weeks before changed out.
  • Vaccines (Gardasil, pneumovax, Shingrix).
  • They can bring a Doctor/nurse practitioner who can write a prescription for meds on site.
Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, training, Tree Fruit, Turf, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: ,
August 17, 2026 , and

Pesticide Recertification Credits Approved for: Agri-Technology, Nursery, Agronomy, Fruit and Vegetable Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC: Wednesday August 26, 2026

NJDEP pesticide recertification credits approved for this meeting are: CORE (1), PP2 (4), 1A (4), and Category 10 (4). 

 

Agri-Technology, Nursery, Agronomy, Fruit and Vegetable Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC

Wednesday August 26th, 2026 (4 pm until dark)

Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC), 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302

Hosted by: Ramandeep Kumar Sharma, Patrick McMullen, and Andy Wyenandt

Questions? Contact: Andy Wyenandt (wyenandt@njaes.rutgers.edu)

This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will showcase advances in crop production, integrated pest management, soil fertility, weed management, and innovative agricultural technologies for growers and stakeholders across the state.

  • Dan Ward, Director, RAREC. Welcome to RAREC
  • Wesley Kline, Cumberland County Agricultural Agent
    • ‘Impact of Cyclospora on fruit and vegetable production’ CORE: 30 minutes
  • Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE Nursery Agent.
    • ‘Useful Nursery and Ornamental Crops and Considerations’
  • Raul Cabrera, Extension Specialist in Nursery Production and Management.
    • ‘Recent developments on substrates (for container-grown crops)’
  • Dan Ward, Director, RAREC; Rutgers Agrivoltiacs Program.
    • ‘Update on the agrivoltaics research program at Rutgers’
  • Ann Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Entomology
    • Emma Waltman, PhD candidate, ‘Land-use around farms impacts stink bug biological control’
    • Amanda Furuya, Post-Doctoral Associate, ‘Tackling Spotted Lanternfly in South Jersey Vineyards’
    • Octavio Menocal Sandoval, Post-Doctoral Associate, ‘Updating Monitoring and Management for Codling Moth in Apple’
  • Thierry Besancon, Extension Weed Specialist for Specialty Crops.
    • ‘Update on new technologies for weed management in vegetable crops’
  • Ramandeep Kumar Sharma, Salem County Agricultural Agent.
    • ‘Optimizing Nitrogen Rate and Application Timing for Corn Yield and Quality’
    • ‘Evaluation of Sulfur Fertilizer Sources and Application Rates for Optimizing Soybean Growth and Yield in Southern New Jersey’
  • Maria Cramer, Senior Program Coordinator, Vegetable IPM,
    • ‘Thrips management in tomatoes’
  • Patrick McMullen, Atlantic County Agricultural Agent.
    • ‘Wilts of cucurbits: Identification and management’
  • Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology.
    • ‘Updates on vegetable disease control’

NJDEP pesticide recertification credits approved: CORE (1), PP2 (4), 1A (4), and Category 10 (4).

Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Commercial Ag Updates, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, pesticide credits, training, Tree Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape, work shop
August 3, 2026 and

Save the Date for Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting-2

Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting- 2 

Monday, August 31, 2026

 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm 

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

51 Cheney Rd, Woodstown, NJ 

(program starts at 6 pm; please arrive earlier) 

Please Save the Date!  

To register

 856-769-0090

  e_dehart@salemcountynj.gov

      Schedule & Topics to be Covered

6:00 pm     Welcome & Introduction

– Salvatore Mangiafico and Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County)

6:15 pm       Planting Timing and Nutrient Availability in Corn and Soybean Systems

– Jarrod Miller, University of Delaware

6:45 pm       Sweet Corn Pest Management Updates: Scouting, IPM Strategies, and Responsible Pesticide Use

– Amanda Quadrel, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

7:15 pm        Assessment of Agricultural Crop Damage by Black Bear in New Jersey

– Salvatore Mangiafico, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County)

7:45 pm       Corn Lodging Insights and Agronomic Research Updates

– Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County)

8:15 pm        Wrap-Up, Evaluations, & Pesticide Credit Submissions

– Salvatore Mangiafico and Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County)

Pesticide Recertification Credits Applied for:

CORE (1), 1A (2), PP2 (2), and 10 (1). Credits are pending NJDEP approval.

  

 

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, pesticide credits, training, work shop