January 2, 2026

Wednesday Luncheon at the NE Ag Expo 1/21/26 – Sign Up Today

All are welcome to the 2026 Celebration of the International Year of the Female Farmer on Wednesday, January 21st at the Northeast Ag Expo at Harrah’s in Atlantic City. Your $25 ticket includes access to the luncheon and keynote speakers – Carrie Edsall from New York and NJ Dairy Princess – Dakota Meys. Lunch is a full hot food buffet and dessert. This event will be inspirational and is also a very affordable way to have lunch while at the expo. Spend this time to network with fellow farmers and support women in agriculture. To register for the Expo and the Wednesday Luncheon go to https://vganj.com/convention-tickets

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, work shop Tagged With: , ,
December 28, 2025

Save the Date – Small Fruit Specialty Crop Production Session

Please mark your calendar and register for the Small Fruit Specialty Crop Production Session at the 2026 Northeast Agriculture Expo.

Location –        The Harrah’s Casino and Resort, Waterfront Conference Center at Atlantic City, Wildwood 10&11
Date & Time – January 21 (Wed), 2026, 2 pm – 4 pm
Registration – Use the link https://vganj.com/convention-tickets

Note: If you plan just to attend the Small Fruit Session, and you are not a member of the Vegetable Growers Association, select NONMEMBER SINGLE DAY CONVENTION TICKET $60.

Hemant Gohil – Chair

2:00 PM: Techniques for Growing and Over-Wintering Japanese Fig variety ‘Espalier’. Craig Boyer, Coastal Fig Co.

2:30 PM: Panel Discussion – Blackberry and Raspberry – Opportunities and Challenges with Pest Management and Production. Growers: Neil Pastore, Reuwai Hanwald, Patti Mood. Panel Moderator – Daniel Ward

3:30 PM: Table Grape Production – Marketing Opportunities and Challenges with Insects, Diseases and Other Production Aspects. Hemant Gohil, Agricultural Agent, RCE of Gloucester County

4:00PM Questions
Pesticide Credits: 1-1A, 1-10, 1-PP2

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, vegetable, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , ,
December 15, 2025 , , and

Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Safety Rule Training

When: Tuesday, January 20, 2026, from 10:00-5:00 EST.

Where: Northeast Agricultural Expo (New Jersey Vegetable Growers Convention) at Harrah’s Waterfront, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City, NJ.

To sign up: https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/fsmaac/

Online ticket Sales end on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Registration after January 13, or in-person registration at the conference, must be paid by check.

Who Should Attend

  • Fruit Growers
  • Vegetable Growers
  • Growers who have farms that fall under the PSR
  • Growers who have farms that don’t fall under the rule but will in the future

 Benefits of Attending the Workshop

Individuals who participate in this course will gain a basic understanding of:

  • Requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them
  • Fulfills the requirement for at least one supervisor from a farm to complete food safety training at least equivalent to the standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA
  • Microorganisms relevant to produce safety
  • Where microorganisms may be found on the farm
  • How to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks and how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm
  • Parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one
  • Cleaning and Sanitizing

What to Expect at the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training:

  • Introduction to Produce Safety
  • Worker Health, Hygiene and Training
  • Soil Amendments
  • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals and Land Use
  • Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
  • Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
  • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate survey to their trainer at the end of the course.

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

 

 

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, training, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
November 5, 2025 , , and

Two-day online Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Safety Rule Training: December 9 and 10

The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’

You’ll need to attend both days to receive a certificate, and you must always have a camera on during the training according to the Produce Safety Alliance Online Training Policies.

For more information and to sign up go to: Our Trainings – Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety [onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu] Registration closes November 14th.

Not sure if your farm falls under the Produce Safety Rule: Take this survey to find out: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4IagP1mbPyrp42N [rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com]

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, training, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
October 30, 2025

Workshops on Taxes, Estate, and Succession Planning

A flyer promoting workshops on taxes, estate, and succession planningThe NJ Department of Agriculture, State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) has two upcoming workshops on ‘Taxes, Estate, and Succession Planning’ as they relate to farmland preservation. These in-person workshops are best suited for farmers, farm owners, and their professional advisors. This is not a series – select the workshop location closest to you. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
October 27, 2025

South Jersey Farmers – Stop the Bleed Training – February 2, 2026

STOP THE BLEED TRAINING
FOR FARMERS AND THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY
REGISTRATION REQUIRED – NO COST

REGISTER USING THIS LINK OR QR CODE:
https://go.rutgers.edu/stopthebleed


DATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2026 TIME: 9:00AM
LOCATION: GLOUCESTER COUNTY OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES
1200 N. DELSEA DR., CLAYTON, NJ

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’ Farm Health and Safety Team has partnered with the Gloucester County Emergency Services to provide “Stop the Bleed” training for the farming community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the life-saving skills of pressure application, wound packing, and use of tourniquets. The first 25 registrants will also receive a complementary bleeding control kit.

Space is limited, register today.

If you have questions contact Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Gloucester County 856-224-8040 ext. 1 or email minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu

Rutgers Farm Health and Safety Team:
Agricultural Agents: Kate Brown, Michelle Infante-Casella, William Bamka, and Stephen Komar

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, training, Turf, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,