Peach: Stink Bugs Apples and Peaches: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) has been steadily increasing in isolated locations. The highest levels seen are on 2 farms in Gloucester County at 4 per trap and at 2 farms in Morris County at 16 and 18 per trap. The Morris County traps are adjacent to apples, and […]
Continue reading...July 28, 2020 Rick VanVranken
USDA Farmers To Families Food Box Program – New Round Solicitation
Listening in USDA’s webinar reveals major changes in this latest solicitation for the third round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. This time they only want multi-commodity ‘combination boxes’, i.e. produce plus meat/dairy plus optional eggs! — check out the specs on page 4 of the solicitation here – https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/FFFB_solicitationRound3.pdf). They are much […]
Continue reading...July 28, 2020 Michael Westendorf
Meet Cosmo, a bull calf designed to produce 75% male offspring
NEWS RELEASE 23-JUL-2020 (reposted from EurekAlert and AAAS) Scientists use CRISPR technology to insert sex-determining gene UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – DAVIS IMAGE: COSMO, A 110-POUND BULL CALF WAS BORN IN APRIL OF 2020 AT UC DAVIS. SCIENTISTS SUCCESSFULLY GENOME-EDITED HIM AS AN EMBRYO TO PRODUCE MORE MALE OFFSPRING. view more CREDIT: ALISON VAN EENENNAAM/UC DAVIS Scientists at the University […]
Continue reading...July 28, 2020 Rick VanVranken
Unsolicited Seeds From Foreign Sources
Several states are now reporting and you may have read or heard news reports of packets of seeds arriving in the mail from foreign shipping addresses that were not ordered. If you receive such a packet, DO NOT open or discard them. Rather, follow these directions from the NJ Dept of Agriculture: UPDATED NJDA ALERT (https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/hottopics/topics200727.html) […]
Continue reading...July 23, 2020 Steven K. Rettke
Differentiating the Common Wood Borers of Ash Trees
It is understandable for arborists and landscapers to assume that Emerald Ash Borers (Agrilus planipennis) are the cause when they observe branch die-back of ash trees (Fraxinus genus). During the 21st century, this invasive Asian tree beetle borer has killed many 100’s of millions of ash tree species as it has spread across much of […]
Continue reading...July 22, 2020 Rick VanVranken
NYCAMH/NEC Farmworker Needs Assessment Survey
The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health/Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing based in Cooperstown, NY is conducting a farm worker health needs assessment to help them better address worker health and safety needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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