How Healthy Is Your Soil?



A simple assessment of your fields on an annual basis can help determine if the soil building practices you are implementing are actually working.  Use the Soil Quality Card, linked below from University of Illinois Extension and NRCS, as a easy annual tool to evaluate progress towards a healthier soil. 

http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/assessment/files/IL_card.pdf

-Meredith Melendez

Mississippi Greenhouse Tomato Shortcourse

The next MS Greenhouse Tomato Short Course will be held at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center, 1500 Raymond Lake Road, Raymond, Mississippi on March 6 and 7, 2012.
More information: http://greenhousetomatosc.com

-Rick VanVranken

Asparagus Production Advisory, Looking to 2012 from 2011 Conditions

Prof. Steve Garrison

Due to widespread foliar diseases on asparagus fern growth this summer, in many field blocks the fern died back BEFORE slowly yellowing and translocating its food stores in the fern to the asparagus storage roots required to support next year’s 2012 crop load.

Our asparagus sage, Professor Emeritus Steve Garrison, gave us his observation and recommendations this week for not over-cutting or over-harvesting affected weak asparagus fields in 2012. Steve recalls the 1970 growing season shared similar conditions to those seen this year. Over-cutting in the subsequent year weakened the beds permanently, and set the stage for years and years of Fusarium asparagus crown and root rot decline in NJ fields.

Steve advises monitoring your asparagus beds very closely during the 1st week of cutting in 2012. If daily bed yields are weak, or spear diameter starts falling off quickly during early harvest, he advises shortening the harvest season dramatically to protect the future investment in life of the production field.
- Jack Rabin, Michelle Infante-Casella

Fleshy storage roots need to receive adequate carbohydrates
from the previous year's fern to support healthy yields.

Farm Credit East Cares Community Fund Deadline Approaches

Grants of up to $500 are available to farm families recovering from Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee. Applications can be done online, emailed, or mailed.
- Michelle Infante-Casella

Applications must be received by November 26, 2011.

Lessons Learned from the Colorado Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak

This month in Cultivating Cumberland (November 2011), Dr. Wes Kline goes over lessons NJ growers can learn from the Colorado Listeria outbreak in Cantaloupes. For his full article, click "read more."

1. That a food borne outbreak can happen on any farm. It does not mean just California or Florida. Every grower needs to assess their operation and see where there may be potential problems. Even if you do not need a third party audit do a self assessment.

2. Food safety needs to be a team effort. Everyone in the operation must buy into the need for food safety. Jensen Farms had a third party audit before the recall, but an audit is only as good as the farm wants it to be. Anyone can clean up the packinghouse for the day of the audit then go back to the “old ways”. It is time everyone makes food safety an important part of their culture in the operation!

3. Water was a big factor in this outbreak. Make sure you have your water tested for the packinghouse and that it is potable (drinking standards).

4. Treat the water used in packing on the packing line. The water may be potable from the well, but what if fruit comes in contaminated? The contamination can spread to other fruit during grading and packing.

5. Monitor the disinfectant used during packing. Depending on the disinfectant monitoring times vary. Check to make sure you are using the best way to monitor. If using Chlorine it is important to check pH and concentration on a regular basis (at least every hour).

Retirement Planning for Farm Families

Later Life Farming is our Rutgers NJAES website providing information about retirement planning for farm families that specifically addresses farmers' unique circumstances. The web-based curriculum consists of ten online modules designed to assist farm owners to plan for retirement and includes links to several different resources.
Many farmers don't plan to "retire" in the traditional sense.  Rather, they express a desire to simply scale back their work hours and/or the size of their farm operation.  In addition, many farm families lack traditional retirement savings plans such as a 401(k). Their major asset is their land and farm property, which are typically illiquid assets. The impact of government regulations on farmers' land values is another unique challenge and is discussed in this resource.

While visiting the site, consider participating in our survey which is in progress until December 31, 2011.

Later Life Farming authors, Barbara O'Neill, Stephen Komar, Robin Brumfield, and Robert Mickel, are available should you have further questions on retirement planning for your farm family.
-Rabin

Time to Think About Geese

Information on ways commercial farmers can address geese damage is gathered on the NJAES Snyder Farm Wildlife Damage Guide for Geese, Deer, and other species. Growers can apply for permits from NJ DEP Division of Fish & Wildlife to "addle" eggs and utilize harassment techniques such as propane cannons and pyrotechnics, noisemakers, and visual flagging.