Farmland owners are reminded that their farmland assessment applications (FA-1) are due not later than August 1. Submitting an application late is grounds for denial.
Recent changes to the law are in effect for this year. Information about farmland assessment can be found on the NJFB website at: https://njfb.org/issues-policies/information-for-farmers/
At this time of year, heat stress becomes a symptom that you need to be aware of during the hot days of summer. Farm workers should be monitored to prevent a heat illness. OSHA has some helpful tips on preventing heat stress, and what to do if you or one of your employees shows symptoms. Click on the following links for more information.
Protecting Workers from Effects of Heat – an OSHA fact sheet
Protecting Workers from Heat Stress – an OSHA Quick Card
Farm Bureau will host another informational meeting on the upcoming changes to New Jersey’s Farmland Assessment law. This latest meeting in the series will be held Thursday, May 14, at 7:00PM at the Somerset County 4-H Center, 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807.
Anyone with farmland assessment may be interested in this meeting. It may be of special interest to those with smaller acreage, as those with parcels of 7 acres or smaller will face additional changes.
This meeting is FREE to all paid NJFB members. The fee for non-members is $20. Please call 609-393-7163 to register by May 8.
Rutgers will be holding a feeder pig auction May 2, 2015. Registration begins at 6:30AM! Not only will they have feeder pigs but there will be some market weight animals up for auction. Location: Livestock Granary Building off Sheepfold Lane on the Cook Campus in New Brunswick. Contact for more information: Clint Burgher (848) 932-9415.
Due to overwhelming response for the April 9 meeting, Farm Bureau will host a second informational meeting on the upcoming changes to New Jersey’s Farmland Assessment law at the Tranquility United Methodist Church, 2 Kennedy Drive, Andover, NJ – located at the corner of Kennedy Road (Rte. 611) and Decker Pond Road (Rte. 517). The second meeting will be held on Thursday, April 16, at 7:00PM.
If you were planning on attending the April 9 meeting, but have not registered yet – please attend the April 16 meeting instead. Anyone with farmland assessment may be interested in this meeting. It may be of special interest to those with smaller acreage, as those with parcels of 7 acres or smaller will face additional changes.
This meeting is FREE to all paid NJFB members. The fee for non-members is $20. Please call 609-393-7163 to register by April 13.
UPDATE – This meeting is filled to capacity, and we can no longer accept registrants. A second, identical meeting is going to be held on Thursday, April 16, at the same location. Please attend the later meeting, if you are not already registered.
Farm Bureau will host another informational meeting on the upcoming changes to New Jersey’s Farmland Assessment law. This latest meeting in the series will be held Thursday, April 9, at 7:00PM at the Tranquility United Methodist Church, 2 Kennedy Drive, Andover, NJ – located at the corner of Kennedy Road (Rte. 611) and Decker Pond Road (Rte. 517).
Anyone with farmland assessment may be interested in this meeting. It may be of special interest to those with smaller acreage, as those with parcels of 7 acres or smaller will face additional changes.
This meeting is FREE to all paid NJFB members. The fee for non-members is $20. Please call 609-393-7163 to register by April 6.
Last week the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 1147, the Legal Workforce Act. The bill requires employers, including farm employers, to check the work eligibility of all future hires through the web-based E-Verify system. NJFB contacted each NJ House member expressing our opposition, and asked that they oppose E-Verify legislation until comprehensive ag labor reforms are enacted. The following are a few reasons farm bureau opposes an E-Verify stand-alone bill, even if it included an exemption for agriculture:
1) Farm Bureau opposes legislation that would mandate E-verify without providing agricultural employers access to a legal current workforce and a new temporary worker program. We will urge all members to vote “No” if such stand-alone E-Verify legislation is brought up in committee or on the floor of the House. We do not support an exemption for agriculture.
2) An agriculture exemption does nothing to give agriculture stability in our labor force. Only legislation creating an agricultural worker program can do that.
3) Agriculture employers want to play by the rules, but do not have access to a legal workforce. A carve-out only places a target on our backs throughout the political process and, once law, would make agriculture a target for ICE enforcement, being the only industry without mandatory E-Verify.
4) In this political climate, farmers and ranchers have lost confidence that an ag carve-out would withstand the process to be signed into law. The practical implication of being subject to mandatory E-Verify without a workable solution to our labor needs is too devastating to the industry to risk advocating for an exemption without a solution.
5) Also, if enforcement only moves we do not have confidence there will be an inclination to move legislation that addresses the ag labor crisis.
The delegates to the 100th State Agricultural Convention considered nearly 40 resolutions covering various policy issues. Resolution titles are listed below. (A new, separate resolution dealing with he issue of Soil Disturbance on Preserved Farms was also added.) Information on the content of the resolutions can be obtained by calling the NJ Department of Agriculture.
The New Jersey Farm Service Agency is partnering with Rutgers Extension Service to host producer meetings next month to inform the public of new programs offered by the 2014 Farm Bill.
Tuesday, JAN 6, 2015 @ 1pm (NAP)
Snyder Research and Extension Farm
140 Locust Grove Rd
Pittstown, NJ 08867
Contact: Doreen Beruck at (908) 782-4614 or doreen.beruck@nj.usda.gov
Wednesday, JAN 7, 2015 @ 9am (NAP)
Vineland Produce Auction
Vineland, NJ 08360
Contact: Angela Andreoli at (856) 205-1225 or angela.andreoli@nj.usda.gov
Wednesday, JAN 7, 2015 @ 1pm (NAP)
Salem County Extension
51 Cheney Rd
Woodstown, NJ 08098
Contact: Al DiBella at (856) 769-1126 or al.dibella@nj.usda.gov
Thursday, JAN 8, 2015 @ 10am (NAP)
Columbus FSA Office
1971 Jacksonville-Jobstown Rd
Columbus, NJ 08022
Contact: Nick Morolda at (609) 267-1639 or nick.morolda@nj.usda.gov
Thursday, JAN 8, 2015 @ 1pm (ARC/PLC & NAP)
Sussex County Extension
130 Morris Tpke
Newton, NJ 07860
Contact: Lindsay Caragher at (908) 852-2576 or lindsay.caragher@nj.usda.gov
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in these meetings should contact the individual listed as the contact for the applicable meeting, or the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 by January 2, 2015.
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP): New coverage options are now available under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields or crop losses, or prevents crop planting. Previously, the program offered coverage at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Producers can now choose higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of their expected production at 100 percent of the average market price.
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC): Rutgers Extension agents will demonstrate the online decision-making tools that are available to producers to help make important enrollment decisions regarding the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. Learning more about ARC and PLC is extremely important for producers who must make a one-time decision about base and yield updates as well as ARC or PLC election and enrollment decisions. An FSA representative will be in attendance to answer any questions on ARC and PLC policy and procedure.
The final program for the AFBF Annual Convention is now available online. Annual Convention Final Program
The annual convention and trade show will be held January 9-14 in San Diego, CA. New Jersey Farm Bureau will have 50 attendees this year.
Additional information can be found on the AFBF Convention website: https://annualconvention.fb.org/
