January 11, 2017 by

Backpack Sprayer Technology Workshop

Date: Thursday, February 9, 2017 | 9AM to Noon
Location: 2017 NJ Agricultural Convention & Trade Show
Harrah’s Resort hotel Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ
Wildwood Rooms 4 & 5

Speakers: John Grande, Director – Snyder Research & Extension Farm, Rutgers NJAES
Bryan Fowler, Manager – TeeJet Technologies, Biglerville, PA. Spraying Systems Corporation Wheaton, IL
Ed Dager, Farm Supervisor – Snyder Research & Extension Farm, Rutgers NJAES
Curtis McKittrick, Research Technician – Snyder Research and Extension Farm, Rutgers NJAES

Don’t miss this training session featuring factors involved in applying pesticides to maximize performance while addressing practical day-to-day issues faced by pesticide applicators. Basic calibration will be covered along with nozzle design as it relates to pesticide performance. Environmental risk factors related to pesticide application including wind drift mitigation of spray droplets will be covered.
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Filed Under: Articles, Latest Post, Technologies
January 5, 2016 by

Mobile Market Cooler Conversion Demonstration

Mobile Market CoolerScalable for small and mid-sized farm operations, portable farm market-type display units have dual benefits of big visual impact with quality enhancing cooling, extending fresh fruit and vegetable shelf life. For those with basic carpentry skills, converting a utility trailer into an insulated cooler box is a relatively easy project. Reasonably priced, these units add versatility boosting the “farm’s capacity to grow, and support their bottom line and sustainability.”

Utility Trailer to Mobile Market Cooler

While this project used a new 6’ x 12’ utility box trailer, others have cut costs for similar projects substituting used trailers, transportable boxes, or built-in units. The cooler unit is a standard household window air conditioning unit with a CoolBot controller that overrides the AC units thermostat, tricking it to keep it running well below household temperature ranges. The AC mobile market cooler in this conversion is adapted from instructions for a smaller Pack-n-Cool unit created by Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, NCSU. See Pack-n-Cool Construction Summary to read about her experiences.
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Filed Under: Articles, Marketing, Technologies
November 15, 2014 by

Farm Calls: Tillage Tools for “Breaking Ground”

A young farmer in North Jersey gave a call this season to ask if we could swing by a take a look at some land he wanted to bring into production. We arrived to find a worst-case scenario: an old pasture on heavy silt loam soil with densely rooted sod clumps – the ground had not been tilled or mowed in two decades. In addition, there was no plan for a burndown herbicide application since the grower follows organic practices.

New Jersey Ag Agents often field calls like this from beginning farmers with small acreage and urban ag market gardeners who need to perform primary tillage, i.e., break ground for the first time. Working with a limited budget, they face the daunting task of opening up an old pasture like our farmer’s, or soils that are compacted and abandoned. These sites share a common problem. They are too small to bring in a 25-35hp tractor and tillage implements, yet far too large to dig and turn the soil over by hand – even with plenty of volunteers.

Primary tillage using a walk-behind two-wheeled tractor.

Tillage using a walk-behind two-wheeled tractor.

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Filed Under: Articles, Farm Calls, Organic Farming, Soils, Technologies
February 21, 2014 by

Roller Crimper Tips for NJ Growers

Roller Crimper in Action

A Roller Crimper in Action

Roller Crimpers offer superior benefits with reduced inputs to vegetable growers who use them along with herbicides, producing better quality main season crops such as pumpkin, winter squash, and processing tomato.

The dense cover crop mat acts as a contact barrier between fruit and soil, minimizing fruit defects and splash disseminated diseases that affect marketing. We share lessons learned during our four years of experience using the roller crimper. Armed with this knowledge, decide if Roller Crimper use fits into your operation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Technologies