By Heather Cooper •
This is the chance for eligible fresh fruit and vegetable growers to recover some of their expenses for implementing food safety practices on their farms.For 2025: Eligible specialty crop operations can apply for Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC)by working directly with the local Farm Service Agency office. You may also call 877-508-8364 tospeak […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – August 21, 2025 – Kate Brown Fall Vegetable Twilight Meeting (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)Norz Hill Farm & Market, LLC., 120 S Branch Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844Thursday, September 18, 2025 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm AGENDA4:00 pm – 4:15 pm Welcome, load wagons, wagon ride to field4:15 pm – 4:45 pm […]
By Heather Cooper •
Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey is now accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE). Applications that meet eligibility and ranking criteria for ACEP-WRE received by October 17, 2025, will be considered for FY2026 funding. ACEP-WRE helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands through […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – August 26, 2025 – Kate Brown The Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education will host a course on ‘Spanish for Ag andHorticulture Workforce’ from January16-March 6, 2026. This is an online, self-paced course withapproximately 21hours of course content designed to help participants study conversational Spanishand gain technical vocabulary specific to […]
By Heather Cooper •
HAMILTON SQUARE, N.J., August 12, 2025 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s(USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in New Jersey is now accepting FY2026applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Agricultural ManagementAssistance (AMA) program and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).While NRCS accepts applications year-round, New Jersey producers and landowners should applyby October […]
By Heather Cooper •
Wes Kline, Meredith Melendez, Jennifer Matthews, Kate Brown Anna Loewald, Research Specialist with the Northeast Center for the Advancement of Food Safety(NECAFS), in collaboration with an advisory group of regional regulatory and educational partners,has developed an Agricultural Water Assessment Questionnaire. This tool guides growers through astructured series of questions- helping to simplify the assessment process […]
By Heather Cooper •
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed extending the deadlinefor the traceability rule (Section 204) under the Food Safety Modernization Actuntil July 2028. The rule was to go into effect in 2026, but FDA is allowing moretime for the industry to comply based on the complexity of the rule. Theextension only relates to implementation. […]
By Heather Cooper •
Fall and winter are the prime time for food safety training. We will be startingin October with basic hands-on training for anyone starting to farm or wantinga basic refresher. That is followed by a two-day online Produce Rule Training.This training is required for most fresh fruit and vegetable growers before theNew Jersey Department of Agriculture […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – July 11, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt In 2004, cucurbit downy mildew re-emerged in the US with a vengeance causing significant losses in cucurbit production. In most years prior to this, concern for CDM control was minimal, since the pathogen arrived late in the growing season (in more northern regions), or […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – July 8, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt Cucurbit powdery mildew (CPM), caused by Podosphaera xanthii, is one the most important diseases ofcucurbit crops throughout the world. The pathogen is an obligate parasite, just like cucurbit downy mildew, meaning it needs a living host in order to survive. In northern regions that […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – July 10, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt Most of New Jersey has been wet making current conditions ideal for pathogens such as Phytophthora and Pythium. Unfortunately, Pythium cottony leak and Phytophthora blight can be found on most farms in the southern part of the state. Poor crop rotations with susceptible hosts […]
By Heather Cooper •
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)in New Jersey is now accepting FY2026 applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program(EQIP), the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). While NRCS accepts applications year-round, New Jersey producers and landowners should apply byOctober 17, 2025 to be considered […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – July 9, 2025 On July 3, 2025, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service released 3 new addenda to the Harmonizedand Harmonized GAP Plus+ Standards: Warehouse, Food Defense, and Integrated Pest Management.All of which will require additional records. Requirements in the existing Harmonized andHarmonized GAP Plus+ standards have not changed. These new […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – July 11, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt As the summer heats up in New Jersey, the control of Phytophthora blight in cucurbit plantings canbe extremely difficult (even with the use of fungicides) as hot, wet weather has set in these past fewweeks. Mitigating losses to Phytophthora blight in cucurbit crops begins […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – July 1 2, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt Verticillium wilt has been reported in eggplant this summer. It is a common soil-borne fungal pathogenthat once it has infested soil can remain for a very long time. Verticillium wilt is caused by eitherVerticillium albo-atrium or Verticillium dahlia and has a wide host […]