Solid Waste Vehicle Registration

-Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent Gloucester County

We have received a few reports about farms being turned away from waste facilities for not having proper permits to haul waste (plastic mulch, bale covers, etc.). Some plastic films and other waste materials from farms can be brought to recycling centers set up around the state. Additionally, pesticide containers can be brought to designated locations on the scheduled times and pesticide applicators will receive one CORE point towards their recertification requirement with NJDEP. More to follow on the recycling programs for plastic films and pesticide containers.

2013 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations

From: Cultivating Cumberland February 2013

The 2013 Vegetable Recommendations are now available for purchase at your local County Extension Office. Stop by the Extension Office and pick up your copy today!

- Posted by J. Rabin

AZ Greenhouse Shortcourse

Dr. Gene Giacomelli, former Rutgers Ag Engineer and Atlantic County farm boy, is now Director of the University of Arizona's Controlled Environment Agriculture Center. He wrote recently to extend an invitation to Garden State farmers to the CEAC’s annual April Greenhouse Crop Production and Engineering Design Short Course. If you'd like an intensive update on the state of the art of greenhouse design and controlled-environment crop production in the sunny southwest, this course will provide that. More information can be found at:http://ag.arizona.edu/ceac/2013-April-Short-Course.
-Rick VanVranken

FDA's Proposed Produce Safety Rules Webinar

Wesley L. Kline

The USDA invites you to take part on February 7th, 2:30-3:30 p.m., in a free, interactive webinar on the Food and Drug Administration's proposed safety rules.  While the USDA has no formal role in the development or implementation of the proposed rules for the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the agency’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Fruit and Vegetable Program  is hosting the webinar as a service to the produce industry.

Blueberry Food Safety Training

-Wes Kline
Up-to-date blueberry food safety information will be available at this training on February 20th, 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research, 125 a Lake Oswego, Chatsworth.  Questions or to register call 609-726-1590 x4410.  Cost of training:  $25 includes lunch.  Topics of interest: Food safety modernization act; worker hygiene; harmonized food safety standards; USDA Verification Audit and sanitation in the packing house.

Food Safety & Harmonized Audit Training

-Wes Kline
Obtain up-to-date information at the Food Safety & Harmonized Audit Training on March 1st at the RCE Cumberland County office, 291 Morton Avenue, Rosenhayn.  $25 includes lunch and materials; 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.  To register call 856-451-2800 x1

Good Agricultural Practices and Food Safety

-Wes Kline
NOFA is sponsoring two food safety trainings:  February 11th and February 19th.  Both classes will be held at the RCE Mercer County office, 930 Spruce St., Trenton, NJ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.  $25 for NOFA members/$30 for non-members.  Questions?  call 908-371-1111 x4 and visit:  Farm Food Safety: What Every Farmer Needs to Know to register for the classes.
http://www.nofanj.org/programs_foodsafety.htm