Date: March 1, 2023 (Wed)
Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Pre-Registration: Required, by February 28th Contact: (856) 224 – 8030 or Email: jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
Registration fee $20.00 (Checks preferred, made out to Rutgers University). Lunch, Coffee and Pastries Included
Pesticide Credits: Requested for – CORE, PP2, 10, 1A [Read more…]
South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting Program
Recent Agriculture Bills Passed in NJ Senate and Other News
Bill A1929 Aca (1R)
Session 2022 – 2023 – signed in to Law, September 22, 2022.
“Directs Department of Agriculture to establish New Jersey Minority, Women, and Underserved Farmer Registry.”
For more information see: https://njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A1929
For a synopsis of this bill see, https://wrnjradio.com/bill-assisting-minority-women-farmers-signed-into-law/
Bill A285. Session 2022 – 2023. ASSEMBLY, No. 285. Establishes “New Farmers Improvement Grant Program” to provide matching grants for farm improvements to beginning farmers.
For more information see, https://njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A285/bill-text?f=A0500&n=285_I1
For a synopsis of this bill see https://wrnjradio.com/committee-clears-bill-that-will-create-grant-opportunities-for-new-farmers/
Other Bills of interest to New Jersey Farmers. Bill Text: NJ S757. “Authorizes special occasion events at certain commercial farms on preserved farmland, under certain conditions.” https://legiscan.com/NJ/text/S757/id/2608677.
For more on this bill and it’s implications, from the Secretary of Agriculture. “Please click the video below to hear from Secretary Douglas H. Fisher regarding an important bill, S757/A2772, which will allow additional, nonagricultural special occasion event to be held NOT JUST on preserved farm wineries – but on ALL preserved farms.”- January 13, 2023. Secretary of Agriculture.
Women farmers. For additional resources on agriculture business, finance, market, and biosecurity planning, see the late registration option for Annie’s Project. The next session is Wednesday, January 18th. Contact the project coordinator for late registation options via the instructions in: https://sites.rutgers.edu/annies-project/wp-content/uploads/sites/753/2023/01/Poster_2023_AnniesProject_Online.pdf
Pennsylvania Advises PA Poultry Owners to House Poultry Indoors
Poultry owners, please be aware of the advisory in Pennsylvania copied below regarding the continued spread of High-Path Avian Influenza.
The appropriate New Jersey letters are found in the following links:
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Letter for Veterinarians
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Letter to Poultry Owners
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Letter to Live Bird Markets
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Letter to Poultry Distributors
“January 9, 2023
Pennsylvania Poultry Industry
Dear Pennsylvania Poultry Producers,
As you know, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) (H5) has been circulating in the wild bird population in the United States and was identified in commercial poultry in early 2022. On April 14, 2022, the first case of HPAI H5 was detected in a commercial layer flock in Pennsylvania. Since then, the virus has continued to spread into backyard flocks and commercial poultry facilities across the United States, affecting 47 states to date. More than 57 million birds have been lost due to HPAI. More than 4.5 million birds have been lost in Pennsylvania, and a total of 38 Pennsylvania flocks have been affected. Identification of new cases has continued across the United States. The most recent case of HPAI has been reported in the US as recently as January 4th. Wild bird detections continue in multiple states. These recent cases should act as a reminder that a virulent strain of Avian Influenza virus continues to circulate in the wild bird population and still threatens commercial and backyard poultry. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture first recommended that organic producers move poultry indoors in February 2022. At this time, we recommend that all poultry [In PA] be maintained indoors. Producers are also encouraged to implement strict biosecurity practices, monitor bird health, and report any unexplained mortality and morbidity [In PA] to the Department at 717-772-2852 (24/7).”
[state added by Melissa Bravo for clarification for plant pest advisory post]
Thank you,
Kevin D. Brightbill, DVM | State Veterinarian | Director
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture | Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services
2301 North Cameron Street | Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: 717.705.1626 | Fax: 717.787.1868
www.agriculture.pa.gov
kebrightbi@pa.gov
Updated Disaster Declarationss & Livestock Forage Disaster Program
Weekly LFP Program Eligibility Maps and Table
These maps and table depict the weekly LFP program eligibility by county for the US and Puerto Rico, based on grazing periods, drought intensity, and forage types – https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/livestock-forage/index
On the LFP list as of a download on December 22, 2022 are:
NATIVE PASTURE 10-03-2022 34-NJ Hudson
FULL SEASON IMPROVED 10-03-2022 34-NJ Hudson
NATIVE PASTURE 10-10-2022 34-NJ Middlesex
FULL SEASON IMPROVED 10-10-2022 34-NJ Middlesex
NATIVE PASTURE 10-10-2022 34-NJ Somerset
FULL SEASON IMPROVED 10-10-2022 34-NJ Somerset
A map showing the counties across the country that have designations for pasture programs can be found at: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/Disaster-Assist/LFP-Maps/2022/native_pasture_2022.pdf
Contact your County Farm Service Agency regarding the most recent primary & contiguous county disaster declarations for 16 New Jersey Counties issued on December 22, 2022; and if any loss programs for hay and pasture in additional counties will become available.
Note: The dates of the USDA disaster declarations vary by declaration. Some counties are designated as primary or contiguous for Drought and Excessive Heat that occurred during July 1 through August 19. Others for Drought that occurred during July 1 through September 14. Others for Drought and Excessive Heat that occurred during June 18 through September 5. And others for Drought and Excessive Heat that occurred during July 1 and continuing. Contact your local FSA office for specific details and program eligibility requirements.
Primary County Disaster Designations from USDA as of December 22. | ||
Morris | Sussex | Warren |
Hunterdon | Somerset | Burlington |
Camden | Ocean | Atlantic |
Cape May | Cumberland | Gloucester |
Mercer | Middlesex | Monmouth |
Salem |
Essex, Union and Passaic are listed as contiguous counties in at least one of the declaration designations date ranges. Hudson is listed in the LFP table referenced above. A few contiguous counties in NY, DE, or PA are also eligible within specific declarations.
You can also check this site on a regular basis to see if new declarations have been added: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/emergency-designations/index
For detailed information about all disaster assistance programs from USDA, see: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index
Finish the Fight Against Scrapie: Brains Needed!
Finish the Fight Against Scrapie: Brains Needed!
For more information, please call: 609-241-2236.
The United States is nearing the goal line after a 70 year battle against SCRAPIE, a fatal disease that affects the brain of sheep and goats. Sheep and goat producers can help the USDA achieve this goal. The current program has been very successful to drastically reduce the amount of scrapie in the US. One of the most difficult aspects of an eradication program is making sure that the last few cases of the disease are found.
The most recent two cases of scrapie found in the US were sampled at slaughter but could not be traced back to a farm origin. One of these cases was a sheep in Wisconsin in 2021 and another was a goat tested in Indiana in 2019. Because these animals did not have adequate records and identification to find where they came from, it is likely there are still farms with cases of scrapie. For a country to be declared free of scrapie, international standards require a certain level of testing among all sheep and goat populations within a country. No samples can test positive for classical scrapie. The samples we need to test are brain and a lymph node.
Each year every state is given a minimum number of samples to be collected based on the breeding sheep and goat populations. This assures sampling represents the different populations. In fiscal year 2023 (October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023), NJ needs to sample 31 mature (>18 months) sheep and 23 mature goats. As of the end of November we only collected 2 sheep samples and 1 goat sample. We continue to ask for help from our New Jersey small ruminant industry to obtain these samples. If a producer has an adult sheep or goat that dies, that must be euthanized, or is being culled please contact USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services at 609-241-2236. There is no charge for the collection or testing of the samples. Producers may be eligible for official plastic tags as long as our supplies last.
Scrapie is in the same family of diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and chronic wasting disease of deer and elk.
Please contact for more information:
December 8th Webinar with NJ Veterinary Services to Discuss Hipath Avian Influenza
Announcement Date: December 1, 2022
On behalf of the South Jersey Poultry Association and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Salem County, Ag Agent, Melissa Bravo, we invite anyone with poultry in New Jersey to attend a webinar on:
How the Hipath Avian Influenza Outbreak relates to and impacts my poultry flock.
Have questions? Get answers. December 8, 6:00 pm. EST. Virtual
- Back yard poultry
- Pastured meat birds going into on farm sales
- Egg layers selling eggs on home farm sales or to CSA’s
- Selling birds at livestock auction
- Selling birds at live bird market
- Any permits required for importing chickens, manure, selling eggs, birds if applicable when a control zone is in force.
Speakers
Sandy Strilec, DVM, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health, Veterinarian
Lisa De lambert, NJ Veterinary Services, Senior Animal Health Technician and NPIP Administrator for National Poultry Improvement Plan Administrator in New Jersey. General information about The Plan can be found at http://www.poultryimprovement.org/
Pre-registration is required. Please send an email to chelsey.fitton@salemcountynj.gov. We will send you the zoom link the day of the meeting. Or call (856) 769-0090 and ask for Chelsey.
Pre-registration closes at 4:00 pm, December 8th.
For additional information, please call Melissa Bravo at 856-340-6582.