Mid-Atlantic Pumpkin School

Mid-Atlantic Pumpkin School
to Be Held in January

The 2013 Mid-Atlantic Pumpkin School will be held at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office in Burlington County office in Westampton, NJ on January 18, 2013.

The location is easy to find, just off Exit 5 of the NJ Turnpike.

Experts from Rutgers, Penn State University and the University of Maryland will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice to pumpkin growers. Topics that often come up include which varieties of pumpkin grow best in what type of soil, the importance of identifying insect pests before spraying insecticide, agritourism, and the latest news about diseases that could affect the pumpkin crop in the coming year.

To obtain a copy of the registration materials see the Rutgers NJAES events website at http://events.rutgers.edu/njaes/.
Go to the January 18th date and choose the event.
If you have any questions please contact Michelle Infante-Casella at 856-307-6450 ext. 1 or email at minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu.

Reducing Storm Damage to Greenhouses

There is a lot of information in this article that I did not know about protecting greenhouses. It is certainly worth taking a look at:
http://extension.umass.edu/floriculture/fact-sheets/reducing-storm-damage-your-greenhouses
-Jenny Carleo

Contact Your Local FSA Office and FEMA to Report Storm Damage

Crops insured by federal crop insurance or by the Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) are covered when floodwaters have rendered them valueless. USDA encourages all farmers and ranchers to contact their crop insurance companies and local USDA Farm Service Agency Service Centers, as applicable, to report damages to crops or livestock loss. More information about federal crop insurance may be found at www.rma.usda.gov. Additional resources to help farmers and ranchers deal with flooding and other damage may be found at www.usda.gov/disaster.

To find the USDA Service Center nearest you, please visit :http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=fsa.

Additionally, sometimes farmers may not think of contacting FEMA. However, FEMA often offers assistance to small business owners after a disaster. Farms are included in that category. FEMA is not only for homeowners. Check with your local county government to find out where the temporary FEMA office will be located in your area.

Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent

Residents and Businesses Urged to Be Prepared for Potential 'Frankenstorm'

Emergency management officials throughout the Mid-Atlantic continue to track and monitor the progress of Hurricane Sandy and an associated hybrid storm system. Though the storm’s track remains uncertain at this time it threatens to mix with a winter storm in the West and arctic air from the North to bring heavy rainfall, strong damaging winds and coastal and inland flooding to our area early next week.

At this time residents are encouraged to stay informed and to discuss emergency plans with family members, including preparations for pets. Farmers should also do a self-audit risk assessment to make sure your business is prepared.
--Rick VanVranken 

Fall Soil Testing

- Dan Kluchinski
Fall is a good time of year to evaluate the past season’s successes and failures and plan strategies for the season ahead. 

Give special consideration to determining soil nutrient levels and examining weed problems and infestations. Through proper record keeping, planning, and evaluation, you can better handle some of the effects of the previous growing season. 

Evening Farm Tour and Workshop for NJ Fruit Producers

 

NJ farmers are invited to attend a farm tour and workshop on October 22, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Evergreen Farm in Yardville, NJ.  The evening will begin with a farm tour, followed by an introduction to useful conservation practices and programs offering technical and financial assistance from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  USDA-NRCS technical experts will be on hand to answer questions.  Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension specialists will speak about on key orchard pests, including the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug and IPM strategies.

 

This free workshop is sponsored by USDA-NRCS, Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension, and the Mercer County Soil Conservation District.  The host is Evergreen Farm where the Kim family produces specialty fruit including Asian pear, jujube, white peach, Korean grape and a variety of vegetables.  Light refreshments will be provided including samples of the recent harvest

Registration is required.  Please register by October 17, 2012 by using the form linked below or by calling the Mercer County Soil Conservation District at (609) 586 9603.  http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/about/events/#EVENING_FARM_TOUR_AND_WORKSHOP_FOR_PRODUCERS

- Meredith Melendez

Farm Food Safety: Packinghouse Facility Activities

Part 11 of Preparing Your Farm Food Safety Plan
 
- Meredith Melendez and Wes Kline

Part 11 of your farm food safety plan addresses your packinghouse activities.  This includes transportation of the product from the field to the packinghouse, product storage once it has been delivered to the packing house, the washing/packing line, ice, worker health and hygiene and packinghouse general housekeeping.  Keep in mind that not all areas of the audit will apply to your farm based on your production practices.  Those areas not applicable would be marked not applicable by the auditor.   Areas that do apply but you are deficient in would result in a reduction of audit points.  A minimum of 80% must be achieved in each section to pass the final audit.  Conducting a mock audit is the best way to determine deficiencies and changes that will need to be made to your farm infrastructure and/or production practices.