Jersey Veg Crops Ag Updates

Ethnic Specialy Crop Workshop

2012-03-21T14:51:00.000-04:00

Thursday, March 29th Meeting cancelled due to low registration. It will be rescheduled for a later Date.

Questions: Contact Gloucester Soil Conservation District at 856-589-5250

Wes Kline, CC Ag Agent

Grant Funds Available - NJ & PA Farm Marketer Cooperators Sought for Training Grant Application

2012-03-21T08:33:00.001-04:00

Grant Funds Available for Farm Merchandising & Customer Service Training - A regional food system consultant is developing a Workforce Development Grant proposal focusing on farm market operations in need of merchandising and customer service training. Farms with full and part-time employees can submit a simple application to request training that will be delivered by farm marketing industry experts on topics such as:

Food & Farm Merchandising - Display Techniques
Farm Stand & Market Customer Service Strategies
Food Safety in Farm Markets
Effective Communication for Farm Marketers
Office, Team Building Skills, and other Professional Training

If you are interested in the training, or possibly participating as a cooperator in the grant application process, please contact jonathan@nationalrestaurantconsultants.com or call 585-750-0182. More information is also available at: http://www.simplefarmmarketing.com/farm-grants.html.
--Rick VanVranken

USDA warns of fraudulent letters

2012-03-20T07:22:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2012--USDA officials learned late Friday afternoon, March 16th, 2012, that fraudulent letters are being sent by FAX to individuals and businesses in at least four states. The letters purportedly come from a USDA procurement officer and seek personal information. These letters are false and in no case should a recipient respond with personal and financial information. The fraudulent letters bear USDA’s logo and seal and are signed by an individual identified as “Frank Rutenberg” using a title of “Senior Procurement Officer”. Letters have been received by FAX in Alabama, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but may have also been sent to other states. USDA is investigating this matter through the Office of the Inspector General.

Do not respond and do not supply the requested information. Please notify your local USDA FSA office if you've received such a letter/fax.
--Rick VanVranken

Clean Water Act Pesticide Application Discharge Permit requirements for NJ

2012-03-09T10:36:00.002-05:00

Long story short, there has been no legislative fix to a 2006 court ruling that determined that pesticide applications on or near water (including wetlands) require a special permit under the auspices of the Clean Water Act, despite already being fully regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Rodenticide and Fungicide Act. In order to be in compliance with this ruling as it currently stands, the NJDEP has developed a General Pesticide Application Discharge permit that affected applicators will need to file. This new permit will be discussed in detail at the March 21 NJ Ag Water Summit at RCE-Burlington (more info posted below).
-Rick VanVranken

Links to the permit application form and other details about this situation are available here:
Read more »

Today is National Ag Day!

2012-03-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

Our friend Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Agent for southwestern Florida, passed this along today (more helpful tools are available at www.agday.org!):

Today, March 8th is National Ag Day, a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture.
-Rick VanVranken
Read more »

Foliar Diseases of Asparagus and Impacts on Subsequent Production

2012-03-06T12:58:00.003-05:00

Professor Emeritus Dr. Steve Garrison notes the 1970 growing season shared similar conditions to the 2011 year. Excessive moisture caused severe disease infection and a weakened crop the next spring. Harvesting beds for the traditional 8 to 10 week period the next growing season caused further stress on beds and many beds never recovered.

To avoid stressing asparagus beds it is important to monitor harvest very closely during the first week of cutting the spring following a season with severe foliar infection. If daily bed yields have dropped off from previous years, or spear diameter starts falling off quickly during early harvest, the harvest season needs to be shortened dramatically to protect the future investment life of the production field. The over cutting of beds will be detrimental to the long term future health of the field. Even if prices are high towards the end of harvest, one should think long term when considering cutting asparagus fields. A healthy and productive asparagus field is a long term investment.

-Michelle Infante-Casella & Andy Wyenandt
Read more »

New Jersey Agricultural Water Summit - March 21, 2012

2012-03-06T12:38:00.001-05:00

All New Jersey Farmers are invited to the Second Annual Agricultural Water Summit, developed to answer all questions regarding permitting, use of I maps, what constitutes good quality irrigation water, how nursery can reuse safely use run-off, proper pond management and much more.

March 21, 2012 - 9am to Noon

Location: Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County

2 Academy Drive

Westampton, New Jersey 08060

609-265-5050

No registration is required

-Ray Samulis, Burlington Co. Ag Agent

NY 2011 High Tunnel Pepper Variety Trial Results

2012-03-02T09:48:00.001-05:00

From Cornell Unversity Cooperative Extension Regional Vegetable Programs' March 2012 VegEdge newsletter Vol. 8(3): 14.

by Judson Reid, Kathryn Klotzbach and Nelson Hoover, Cornell Vegetable Program.

Alliance, Gordo, Sandpiper, Yellow Crest, and Vanguard (left to right).
Photo: Judson Reid, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program

Introduction - If you read last month’s VegEdge newsletter you know that tomatoes can give excellent yields in high tunnels. However peppers offer a viable option to tomatoes as they require less labor, and suffer from fewer insect pests and diseases. In 2011 the Cornell Vegetable Program completed its third year of high tunnel pepper trials.

-submitted by Rick VanVranken
Read more »

Getting the most from the Fruit and Vegetable Market News Retail Report webinar

2012-03-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

Patricia McAleer, Program Specialist with the USDA – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Institute of Food Production & Sustainability sends this announcement: Getting the most from the Fruit and Vegetable Market News Retail Report. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service invites you to an interactive webinar on USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Market News, a Web-based resource that provides price and movement data for hundreds of agricultural commodities. The webinar will be held on March 28, from 2–3 p.m. Eastern Time. The webinar is free, but you must register to participate at http://bit.ly/y6w4jS
-Rick VanVranken

Pre-Season Farm Labor Meetings

2012-02-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

In conjunction with NJ Farm Bureau, Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension has scheduled the following 2012 Pre-Season Farm Labor Meetings:

Wed., February 29, RCE-Cumberland Office, Morton Ave, Rosenhayn, 7:00-9:30pm
Mon., March 5, RCE-Atlantic Office, Old Harding Hwy, Mays Landing, 7:00-9:30pm

Updates and overviews of farm labor regulations will be presented by representatives of NJ and US Depts of Labor; NJ DEP Pesticide Control Program; Rutgers Cooperative Extension and NJ Farm Bureau covering:

Worker Protection Standards
Federal Labor Regs including Migrant & Seasonal Ag Worker Protection Act (MSPA); Farm Labor Standards Act; and transportation issues.
NJ Labor Regs covering Wage & Hour and Child Labor.
Immigration Reform Updates

Rick VanVranken

Fertilizer Prices Spiking Again

2012-02-14T12:50:00.001-05:00

"Fertilizer prices jumped last fall on global demand and expectations for a large increase in corn plantings in the United States." Worrisome news for all growers.

Rick VanVranken

U.S. farmers may fail in fertilizer face-off

By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO

Mon Feb 13, 2012

Source: www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/us-fertilizer-sales-idUSTRE81C0DX20120213

For the complete story click either link above or

Small Farm, Beginning Farmer, Organic Farm Workshop

2012-01-31T09:10:00.001-05:00

What:

Backpack sprayer calibration
Hand tools for weed control
Rutgers kaolin clay observations on: apple, eggplant and pepper
Planning for crop insurance

Where:
RCE of Mercer County
930 Spruce Street, Lawrenceville
Contact 609 989 6830 cszmauz@mercercounty.org

When:
Tuesday February 7, 2012 10:00 – 1:00 Lunch provided

Register by Wednesday February 1st,
$20 per person

Registration form available here!
http://events.rutgers.edu/pdfs/2_7_2012.pdf

-Meredith Melendez

NRCS Seasonal High Tunnel Pilot Initiative Deadlines Approaching

2012-01-29T11:14:00.001-05:00

A number of financial assistance initiatives, including high tunnels, are available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Applications are accepted throughout the year on a first come first serve basis for the following "ranking periods": February 3, March 30, and June 1, 2012.
Apply early while funding is still available.
See EQIP Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative
See National EQIP Initiatives and Statute Supported Programs
-Rabin, VanVranken
Read more »

Food Safety & Audit Workshops January – March 2012

2012-01-20T23:31:00.002-05:00

Get up-to-date Food Safety Information by attending one or more sessions.

Topics
Food Safety Modernization Act

Harmonized Food Safety Standards

How to Develop a Food Safety Plan for Your Operation

Worker Hygiene

How to Prepare for a Third Party Audit

USDA Verification Audit Good Agricultural Practices/Good Handling Practices

Dates & Locations

January 27
NOFA-NJ, Duke Farms. 80 Rt 206 South, Hillsborough, NJ.
Registration: 908.371.1111

February 22
RCE Cumberland Co. 291 Morton Ave, Millville, NJ.
Registration: 856.451.2800 x1

February 23
RCE Middlesex Co. 42 Riva Ave, North Brunswick, NJ.
Registration: 732.398.5262

March 20
Marucci Center. 125A Lake Oswego Rd, Chatsworth, NJ.
Registration: 609.726.1590

How consumers use social media to connect with food retailers - Penn State Extension podcast series

2012-01-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Food retailers, large or small, have an opportunity to use social media tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, to connect with the public, including their customers. Many are using these tools with various levels of success. To use them effectively, one must understand how consumers are, or may, use them to connect with food retailers.

Research completed at Penn State provides insights into consumer use of Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and online review sites (such as Yelp!). The results of the research are being released as a series of short videos. The first one, an introduction to the research, is available now at http://www.youtube.com/user/PSUFoodandFarmBiz/videos. Videos are scheduled to be released each Tuesday and Thursday over the next 10 weeks.

To receive regular notifications when new videos are released, you can Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FarmBusiness) or send an email to farmbusiness@psu.edu.

--Rick VanVranken

Small and Beginning Farmer Workshop

2011-12-22T14:12:00.003-05:00

With modifications, low cost backpack sprayers are an accurate, efficient tool for your small operation.
In this workshop, John Grande, Director Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, teaches more effective ways to use a backpack sprayer: increase sprayer accuracy, successfully apply alternative organic products, create greater farmer/operator ease, make better use of precious time and money, and improve safety.

When: Tuesday, February 7th 2012 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 930 Spruce Street Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Topics Included:

Backpack sprayer calibration - John Grande,
Director Rutgers Snyder Research & Extension Farm
Hand tools for weed control - Ed Dager,
Farm Supervisor Rutgers Snyder Farm
Surround trial results: apples, potatoes, & eggplant - Win Cowgill,
Hunterdon Co. Ag Agent
Crop insurance options for small farms -
Garden State Crop Insurance Education Initiative

For more details and registration visit:
http://events.rutgers.edu/pdfs/2_7_2012.pdf

-Meredith Melendez

Upcoming Conferences - North American Direct Marketers and New Mex Chile

2011-12-19T15:37:00.001-05:00

For NJ farm marketers, the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association's annual conference expands the programming that used to be available at our old MADMaC show, and again this year, will be hosted in our old territory in Williamsburg, VA, Feb 10-16, 2012. Details about the event and registration materials can be found at http://nafdma.com/VA2012/.

Likewise, if you'd like to learn about all things pepper, check out the 2012 New Mexico Chile Conference to be held Feb 6 & 7 in Las Cruces, NM. Details on their website at http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/conferences.php.

Before that, of course, we'd like to see you in Atlantic City, Jan 17-19, for the combined 2012 Atlantic Coast Agricultural Conference & Trade Show and NJ Ag Convention. The complete program and registration information is available at http://njveggies.org/convention.htm.

Wishing you the best for the holidays and for a prosperous New Year!

--Rick VanVranken

Rutgers NJAES to Host Agritourism Conferences Throughout NJ in January

2011-12-12T15:33:00.001-05:00

Agritourism is sometimes defined as, “Touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities.” Farmers in New Jersey are finding a demand for local tourism and a desire from the consumer to “buy local”. To assist New Jersey’s agricultural community in these endeavors, a program at Rutgers University has been developed to provide education and outreach to farmers who currently operate on-farm direct marketing businesses, like agritourism ventures, and for those who would like to develop an agritourism business.
- M. Infante-Casella
Read more »

New SARE Fact Sheet Available on Tomato Grafting

2011-12-05T20:12:00.028-05:00

Growers and researchers around the world using tomato grafting demonstrate that grafting can protect plants against a variety of soil-borne diseases in various climates and conditions. SARE has a new fact sheet, Tomato Grafting for Disease Resistance and Increased Productivity that helps farmers and agricultural educators learn how to graft tomatoes to fight disease and improve the health and vigor of tomato crops.

Grafting is particularly useful in High Tunnel culture where crop rotation options are limited. Grafting has been successfully used to battle diseases like Verticillium and Fusarium wilt, corky root rot and bacterial wilt, among others. Along with maintaining high fruit quality, tomato grafting can also help overcome crop stressors such as salinity, excess moisture and soil temperature extremes, and extend the growing season and increasing total marketable yield.
- Wes Kline and Jack Rabin

Fresh Market Green Bean Company Seeking NJ Growers

2011-12-05T11:10:00.001-05:00

C&E Farms is a grower packer shipper of fresh market green beans, based on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. They partner with over 45 growers in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, covering 3500 acres.

C&E Farms has decided to expand their program in NJ. They are specifically looking for irrigated acres. The requirement of irrigation is to have consistent quality and supply of green beans for sales.

C&E Farms has contacted South Jersey Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents to disseminate information to growers about this new opportunity. A meeting with C&E Farms will be held on December 15th at the Woodstown Diner in Salem County.
For more information email: Justin Colson justincolson@cefarms.com

Posted by Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent

Should you offer price discounts or coupons to increase retail vegetable sales?

2011-12-05T08:46:00.002-05:00

Coupons versus offering price discounts at retail; which is likely to be more effective at increasing consumer purchase behavior of fruits and vegetables? The USDA ERS recently asked this marketing question. The answer has implications for Jersey produce grower and retail marketing strategies.
-Jack Rabin
Read more »

Innovation, Growth & Productivity To Highlight 20th PMA Foundation For Industry Talent Leadership Symposium

2011-11-30T09:55:00.001-05:00

This is a leadership retreat for top execs in the produce industry. Check the press release here:
http://www.perishablenews.com/index.php?article=0018834

or go straight to the PMA conference website here:
http://www.pma.com/leadership/2012/

Rick VanVranken

Last Call for FEMA & SBA Hurricane Irene Disaster Assistance

2011-11-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

Application deadline: Wednesday, November 30

NJ residents whose homes and properties sustained damages as a result of Hurricane Irene have through tomorrow, November 30, to register for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

To register with FEMA, click here or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY: 800-462-7585, 7 AM to 10 PM daily.

Individuals must register by the deadline or face losing the opportunity to be considered for federal assistance. Though FEMA will not duplicate insurance benefits, expenses not covered by insurance may be eligible for federal grants after an insurance claim has been paid.

The deadline to submit loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is also November 30. Completing and returning the SBA application is an essential step in the process. If you are a homeowner or renter and SBA determines you cannot afford a loan, you may be referred for other possible assistance. Additional information is available at www.sba.gov or by calling 1-800-659-2955.

--Rick VanVranken

Changes in Third Party Audits in the Future

2011-11-28T14:58:00.001-05:00

More audits will be moving to harmonized food safety standards. This hopefully will reduce the need for multiple audits and reduce grower costs. Not all audit firms or retails will necessarily accept the harmonized audit. It is suggested that a grower work with their retailer to implement these standards, but remember who you sell to dictates the audit used.

Wesley Kline
Read more »

2012 New Mexico Chile Conference

2011-11-28T10:27:00.000-05:00

The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University will be hosting the 2012 New Mexico Chile Conference on February 6 & 7, 2012 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The conference will take an intensive look into technological advances, disease and pest management and organics for chile pepper production. For more information call 575-646-3028 or see http://www.chilepepperinstitute.org/

Michelle Infante-Casella