December 9, 2025

Empowering Farmers Through Knowledge: Annie’s Project 101 Launches in January 2026

Empowering Farmers Through Knowledge: Annie’s Project 101 Launches in January 2026

As agriculture continues to evolve, so do the challenges and opportunities faced by farmers—especially women and beginning farmers. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of the Annie’s Project 101 Course, a comprehensive farm business management training series kicking off in January 2026.

Hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension and supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Project, this six-week webinar series is designed to equip farmers with the tools they need to thrive in today’s dynamic agricultural landscape.

📅 Course Overview

  • Dates: Wednesdays, January 7 – February 18, 2026
  • Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
  • Format: Live webinars + asynchronous learning
  • Fee: $45
  • Registration: Click here to register

🎓 What You’ll Learn

Each session focuses on a key area of farm risk management, featuring expert-led presentations and practical strategies:

  • Legal Risk (Jan 7): Lease agreements and legal foundations for farm operations
  • Financial Risk (Jan 14): Agritourism pricing and profitability analysis
  • Market Risk (Jan 28): Marketing plans and niche development
  • Human Resource Risk (Feb 4): Farm crew management and wellness strategies
  • Production Risk (Feb 11): Food safety and equipment selection
  • Legal & Financial Risk Wrap-Up (Feb 18): Insurance and business planning essentials

🧭 Special Note

There will be no webinar on January 21 to allow participants to attend the Northeast Ag Expo at Harrah’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Whether you’re a beginning farmer, a seasoned producer, or someone exploring agribusiness, Annie’s Project 101 offers valuable insights and connections to help you grow your farm with confidence.

📌 Don’t miss out—register today and invest in your farm’s future!
#AnnieProject101 #FarmBusiness #WomenInAg #RutgersExtension #AgWebinarSeries #FarmSmart

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
September 22, 2025

Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session

The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.

Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.

All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.

This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
September 18, 2025

Webinar on Monday 9/22/26 from 12-1PM: Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions

According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations. This is due to the varied number of agricultural risks encountered by farmers and farm workers. Recent events in New Jersey have brought up concerns about farm equipment on public roads.

On Monday, September 22nd from 12:00PM-1:00PM EST, there will be a webinar on
“Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions”

Summary: Tractors and other large ag machines are spending more time on public roads than ever before. As farms expand and equipment grows in size, the risks on rural roadways continue to rise, not just for farmers but for the entire motoring public. This session will explore how design solutions, especially those connected to lighting and marking design standards, reduce collision risk. We’ll unpack crash data, examine discrepancies between federal and state requirements, and highlight recent NHTSA regulations that focus national attention on these issues. We’ll also explore new risks associated with trailering, longer transport routes, and the safety implications of the accelerating shift toward autonomous and robotic machinery.

Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe how changes in farm size, equipment design, and changes in rural communities contribute to increased roadway travel and higher collision risk.

*Explain the purpose and impact of consensus design standards and how alignment (or misalignment) with state regulations can influence roadway safety outcomes.

*Identify new roadway safety concerns tied to equipment trailering, larger machines, and longer travel distances across spread-out farm operations.

*Assess how automation and robotics in agriculture will introduce both new risks and promising safety solutions—and how policy, like California’s current occupational safety tractor rules, will shape their future use.

Intended audience: Farmers, policymakers, extension educators, engineers from equipment companies, law enforcement, clinicians, health professionals, agricultural association leaders, agribusiness professionals, insurance loss control/underwriters, vo-ag instructors, machinery dealers

Meet the Presenter: Dr. John Shutske, Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist and Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Register by first creating a free account on https://learning.agrisafe.org/register
And then using this link to register for the free webinar: https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/farm-equipment-hits-the-highway-growing-risks-and-smarter-solutions

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, training, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
September 16, 2025

Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session

The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.

Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.

All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.

This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
September 15, 2025

Cover Crop Webinar Series Hosted by NECCC

The Northeast Cover Crops Council will host a fall webinar series. The webinars will take place from 12-1 pm on Wednesdays from October 1 to November 5, 2025. Click here to register for the series. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
September 11, 2025

Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session

The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.

Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.

All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.

This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,