USDA Extends Deadline For The 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties

Trenton, NJ – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will continue to collect the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties through April 18, 2025. Conducted just once every five years, the Census of Horticultural Specialties is the only source of detailed production and sales data for U.S. floriculture, nursery, and specialty crop industries, including greenhouse food crops.

Growers are encouraged to complete their survey either online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail as soon as possible. The online questionnaire is user-friendly, accessible on most electronic devices, and saves producers time by calculating totals and automatically skipping questions that do not apply to their operations.

NASS enumerators will also continue gathering data and ask respondents to complete and return their survey form as soon as possible. If those who have received the form are no longer involved in horticultural operations, or need assistance completing the questionnaire, they can call toll-free, 888-424-7828 so their record can be updated.

Producers who receive the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties are required to respond by federal law (Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113), as it is part of the Census of Agriculture program. That same law also requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential.

“This is a great opportunity to show the importance of New Jersey food grown under cover,” stated Bruce Eklund, USDA/NASS NJ State Statistician. “Our end-of-the-year vegetable survey, for example, only shows crops grown in the open.” Growers should have received the survey via mail and or a specific survey code to complete the survey online. If you can’t locate the survey or your code, please contact Bruce at 503.308.0404 or by email at bruce.eklund@usda.gov.

The 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties data is scheduled to be available on December 16, 2025, at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus and in the Quick Stats database at quickstats.nass.usda.gov. For more about the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties, please visit nass.usda.gov/go/hort.

NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Ever Consider Rutgers Master Gardener Program?

Rutgers Master Gardener 2025 RegistrationThe Rutgers Master Gardener Program offers an intensive horticulture training to people interested in improving their gardening skills and giving back by helping to teach others. RMG ‘volunteers’ attend a series of classes in basic to intermediate horticulture, soils, fertility, pest and plant diagnosis, and management skills. In turn, they help their local County Rutgers Cooperative Extension office extend their outreach to the community by answering gardening questions on call-in/walk-in helplines or at community events; teach classes; and develop and implement demonstration gardens.

The 2025 class is open now and actively recruiting to begin classes in a couple of weeks. There is still room available if you or you know someone (garden center/farm market employees and/or customers, nursery/landscape business employees) who might be interested. Feel free to post this in your stores or pass it on to anyone you think might like to give it a try. More information is available via the QR code or go to https://go.rutgers.edu/RMG2025.

RMG25 Registration QR Code

https://go.rutgers.edu/RMG2025

September Horticulture Plant Health Educational Series – Plant Pathology 101, Entomology 101

September sessions- 

In preparation for 2024 Nursery IPM training we invite ALL growers (nursery, greenhouse, Christmas tree, vegetable, row crops, landscape professionals) to attend the following educational sessions surrounding overall plant health and pest management principals.

NOTE: These free virtual sessions (on Zoom) will count as “in-person”, meaning all attendees will receive offered CEUs if they: have a live video feed (and are visible the entire time), upload a government issued photo ID + NJ Pesticide license prior via a secure Rutgers Connect folder (follow directions below, only the agents will have access to information for verification), and participate in poll questions.

Government issued photo ID and NJ Pesticide License upload:

  • Click here to upload BOTH your government issued Photo ID and Pesticide License prior to the meeting
  • Upload directions: If you click on the photo ID upload link using a smart phone/tablet you will have the option of simply taking a photo of your ID and uploading it directly into the system. Otherwise, you can scan a copy of your photo ID into a computer and follow the directions at the upload link. If you are unable to upload documentation prior to the meeting, please contact Tim Waller for assistance (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu).
  • Please upload files of your photo ID and applicator license to the link above as; “Last name_ First_ Photo ID” AND “Last name_ First_ Pesticide License”

Sessions: (You must register for each session individually, but only need to upload ID material one time for this series)

Date: 9/20/2023 –    (Next Wednesday!) – Plant Pathology 101 – Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE

  • Click here to register for Plant Pathology 101
  • Time: 6:00 – 7:00pm (5:30-6:00pm sign-in)
  • NJ Pesticide CEU’s: 1A (2) – 3A (2) – 3B (2) – 3C (2) – 10 (2) – PP2 (2)
  • Tim Waller will be discussing the basics of plant pathology and disease management as it applies across horticulture. We will discuss how cultural practices and pesticide applications play into the ever present disease triangle.

Date:   9/27/2023 (W) – Entomology 101 – Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE 

  • Click here to register for Entomology 101
  • Time: 6:00 – 7:00pm (5:30-6:00pm sign-in)
  • NJ Pesticide CEU’s: 1A (2) – 3A (2) – 3B (2) – 3C (2) – 10 (2) – PP2 (2)
  • Tim Waller will be discussing the basics of insect biology (entomology) as it relates to horticulture. Developing a baseline understanding of which are troublesome pests and which are beneficial will aid in pesticide management decision making approaches across horticulture.

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