Volume X, No. 3 FALL 2017

Changing Times Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County

Open Space Pace The 6th Annual Open Space Pace was held on September 16, 2017 at Freehold Raceway. This parade and county fair supports the preservation of open space in Monmouth County. In its mission, the Open Space Pace was created to celebrate the horse, New Jersey’s official state animal and supports open space for the equine, agricultural, and recreational industries of the state. Furthermore, through sponsors, volunteers, and contributors this event rejuvenates the New Jersey Harness Racing Industry.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County participated again in this annual event to promote the efforts of this good cause. Rutgers Masters Gardeners , 4-H and Equine Center attended with displays encompassing a variety of educational materials for attending guests. 4-H members participated in the parade and represented the “Jersey Fresh” theme by dressing up their horses as tractors. Members also decorated their rabbit cages with fresh produce as they pulled their rabbits in wagons. Great support from NJDA, Farm Bureau, Board of Ag, Monmouth County...

AGENT’S OVERVIEW

Wow! What a summer! Another challenging season is in the books. Our Ag field research work under erratic weather conditions delayed planting, slowed crop growth, and high heat struggles really makes one appreciate the commercial efforts of the farm-ing community. In this jam-packed edition covering some of our farm extension activities, you’ll see:

Another successful OPEN SPACE PACE COUNTY FAIR on the cover here. Our attendance and interests continues to grow slow and steady after six years. The Festival of Horse Parade is always a crowd pleaser. At the Raceway, there were excellent educational displays and $1000 dollar checks provided after each race to a non-profit.

New Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural and Marine Agents employed.

Rutgers Turf and Winegrape Events, Field Tours. Farmers and Freeholders

RCE of Monmouth County Crop Research and Development 2017 - Summer & Fall.

Vertical Farming equipment and growth in food production in NJ and beyond.

4-H events with Youth Summit and Poultry Seminar, Equine pasture advice for the winter.

Hurricane crop loss, crop growth with CO2 (carbon dioxide) increase, Agency updates and upcoming calendar. Whew !– just before I start wearing out in the fall, I get a timely call to receive a national award for best Ag education publication from the American Society for Horticultural Science. That conference was a blast surrounded by 800 plant people in seminars, workshops, touring vegetable farms, treenut tracts, fruit farms, forests and flower farms.

Check out page 8 photos of Horticulture in Hawaii. Happy Thanksgiving !

Bill Sciarappa

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RCE New Employees and Events

Megan Muehlbauer joined the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources as county agent III/assistant professor in Hunterdon County as of August 1. Muehlbauer earned her B.S. in Agricultural Science and Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Rutgers and most recently worked on a fellowship in the Department of Plant Biology. In her new capacity, she will provide leadership to

develop, implement, and evaluate educational programming and research appropriate to the needs of clientele in commercial tree fruit production, management and marketing. In addition, she will provide assistance in commercial small fruit, wine grape, and related commodities throughout the county and region. She can be reached at the Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension office in Hunterdon County.

The 13th annual International Turf Research Conference (ITRC) was hosted by Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science and held in New Brunswick, NJ, in July–the first time since 1993 that the ITRC has been held in the U.S. Over 450 turfgrass researchers and professionals from around the world gathered to discuss the latest turfgrass research. The theme for the 2017 ITRC was "Meeting the Challenges of a Changing Environment," to reflect the tremendous impact of the environment, from the changing climate, to the changing regulatory environment for pesticides and fertilizers, and the rapid technological changes in molecular biology and other aspects of turfgrass science. A field day offered choices of applied turf excursions covering golf, athletic sport, sod production and public green, and ended at the Rutgers Turf Farm at Adelphia, NJ, where participants learned about current turf research at Rutgers. Attendees observed turfgrasses under shade, drought, traffic, minimal nutrients, and other stresses bred to meet the challenges of a changing environment. Both Turfgrass Producers International and the European Turfgrass Society (ETS) praised the conference organizers in their newsletters, with ETS identifying center Director Bruce Clarke and his team for an outstanding job making all participants comfortable and welcome, and realizing ambitious goals of the conference in a “precise, disciplined and professional” manner.

The first annual Wine Grape Summer Camp was held August 8 at Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Upper Deerfield, NJ. The university’s commitment to educating grape growers was enhanced in 2014 when it established the New Jersey Center for Wine Research and Education. The event was organized by Gloucester County agricultural agent Hemant Gohil, and speakers included Drs.Dan Ward, extension specialist in pomology and the center’s director; Thierry Besancon, extension specialist in weed science for blueberry, cranberry, vegetables and wine grapes; and Peter Oudemans, extension specialist in plant pathology. The workshop covered the establishment of training systems, and disease identification, management and sprayer effectiveness.

Douglas Zemeckis (County Agent III - Assistant Professor) started in September as the new Marine Extension Agent for Ocean, Monmouth, and Atlantic Counties. Doug's primary responsibilities include educational programming and

applied research related to the needs of the clientele in fisheries, aquaculture, and related coastal resource management. Doug previously earned a bachelor's degree in Marine Sciences from Rutgers University and completed his graduate school work at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he earned a Ph.D. in Marine

Science and Technology and focused on conducting collaborative research with New England's fishing industry on multiple groundfish species (e.g., cod, haddock, cusk, halibut). Before taking on this new role, he also completed postdocs at SMAST and the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University, where he conducted research related to New Jersey's artificial reefs and the species commonly caught on these reefs (e.g., black sea bass, tautog, lobster). Please feel free to contact Doug with any questions or comments via email (zemeckis@njaes.rutgers.edu) or phone (732-349-1152).

1st Annual Wine Grape summer Camp

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RCE of Monmouth County - Summer R & D

Rutgers Monmouth County Master Gardeners harvested 10 new Rutgers tomato cultivars at Cream Ridge

Harvesting field corn trial in Western Mon-mouth for the national USDA yield contest

Potential Peri-Urban Farmers in our Cook Campus class called “Innovations in Indoor Cultivation of High Value Specialty Crops”. Sixteen current students include one farm owner, one assistant greenhouse manager, one experienced greenhouse technician, one PhD student in ag engineering and several future pro-ducers interested in aeroponics, hydroponics, aquaponics and geoponics. Instructors are RU-NJAES faculty Drs. AJ Both, Albert Ayeni, and Bill Sciarappa.

Rutgers new pepper is named Pumpkin Haba-nero is developed by Drs. Simon and Ayeni at Cream Ridge. Planting was delayed and harvest was in October when fruits turn from red to orange.

Solvita soil health test for carbon dioxide with color reactive gels.

Photo right—Containerized highbush blueberry may be an innovative option for farms with unsuitable soils.

One of 10 county fields in a corn soybean rotation

study. The NJ Soybean Council has funded

this research for 2 years to determine soil fertility.

Advanced hydroponic system at RU-SEBS.

Tigernuts are a niche market for trending nutrition aficionado markets

“the Cavemen Diet”.

New Crops and Methods

for future use in Jersey and beyond.

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AeroFarms Receives $1 Million Research Grant Indoor vertical farm AeroFarms was awarded a $1 million research grant by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research organi-zation, according to Hortidaily. AeroFarms will match the grant. The Newark, New Jersey based farm is now gaining support and collaborations from Rutgers and Cornell Universities to further efforts in growing sustainable, better tasting and more nutrition leafy greens in an urban setting. New research will be conducted to learn how to better control and maintain the best environment for crops grown indoors. FFAR was founded under the 2014 Farm Bill. Tiffany Do—Assistant Editor of Food Republic

Vertical Farming Market to grow at over 27% CAGR to 2024

"North America held a significant share in the global ver-tical farming market pushed by strong technical exper-tise, established R&D institutes, high concentration of venture capitalists." Vertical Farming Market size will cross USD 13 billion by 2024 according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Vertical farming market is providing impetus for growth in indoor farming sector due to the advent of LED lights and growth mechanism such as aeroponics, hydroponics etc. Low labor costs, location of vertical farms closer to con-sumer bases, accessibility to fresh produce, zero pes-ticide usage are the key vertical farming market dynamics . In terms of technology, hydroponics will continue to hold the lion’s share by 2024. However, aeropon-ics and aquaponics growth mechanism are likely to exhibit rapid gains during the forecast period taking up the market share of hydroponics. Less usage of water in comparison with hydroponics and tradition-al farming methods will spur the market for aeroponics expertise. Rising adoption of small scale aquaponics systems among farmers due its cost benefits is playing a KEY role in the growth of aqua-ponics. Research and developments across the globe has led the various technology companies to venture into vertical farming on a small scale. New entrants in the vertical

farming market are installing prototype models of their system in research institutes and laboratories to study the feasibility of commercialization of this technology. Existing producers of crops from vertical farming are conducting various experiments on their plants to maximize their pro-duction and enhance quality of their yield. However, the limitation of crop assortments that can be grown, high energy consumption, high initial set up costs hinder the adoption of vertical farming. In terms of applications, growing crops in indoor envi-

ronments such as ware-houses, shipping contain-ers and parking areas will account for more than 70% share in 2024 due to space constraints in vari-ous urban cities. The bur-geoning practice of con-trolled-environment agri-culture (CEA) is set to rev-olutionize the indoor verti-cal farming market. . Vertical farming prod-uct market consist of fruits, vegetables & herbs, equipment, and aquatic species. Lettuce domi-nates the overall fruit, veg-

etables and herbs market. Leafy greens and other herbs are the fastest growing crop types. Lightning systems will capture the major share in vertical farming equipment market till 2024. In addition to Asia-Pacific and the Middle East; Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and U.K. are the ma-jor European countries opting for vertical farming and constitutes major share of overall European region.

Rutgers Ag class gets career skills with hydroponics and aeroponics in Innovations in

Greenhouse Cultivation taught by Drs. Both, Ayeni and Sciarappa on Cook Campus.

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‘Skeba Way’ kept family on course since 1912

by Richard Skelly | Oct 6, 2017 AFP Correspondent

MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Oct. 10, 2017) — Between his long-established Red Wagon Farm Market on nearby Route 33, the 850 acres he farms, and the way other farm-ers rave about his corn, Joe Skeba isn’t planning on retiring any time soon. His son Daniel, Joe’s wife Laurie, and several crews help Joe manage his 50-plus acres of sweet corn and the huge variety of other vegetables and fruit he grows. He has sold off some of his land over the years but still owns 400 acres and leases another 450 acres. “My grandfather was a farmer, my father was a farmer, and I’ve been farming all of my life as well,” Skeba said. His son Daniel, 38, the fourth generation to farm the land, has been helping out since he was five. “I’m still in the house my grandfather lived in. I raise all types of vegetables and have a farm market on Route 33,” he said, noting the Red Wagon has been in various loca-tions in its four-decade history, mostly along Route 33, a road that runs from Trenton to the Jersey Shore. Joe Skeba, 74, said he attended Trenton Catholic High School, as did many from Monroe and Cranbury back then, and then attended Mercer County College and Rider Uni-versity. He never got a four-year degree. His grandfather, Louis Skeba, came from Poland as a farmhand and later bought the land they now own in Monroe Township. His father Stanley Skeba continued the farm’s operations. “When my grandfather bought this farm in 1912, he paid about $9,000 for it, which was an extremely high price at the time,” Joe said. He sold off some of the land over time and there’s even a ‘Skeba Way’ in the nearby housing de-velopment. The street is named for his late mother, Agnes, he said, who passed away three years ago at age 95. What makes Skeba Farm unique is his large corn growing operation, Joe said. “We’re kind of famous for our sweet corn,” he said. “Most of the other farmers, when they run out of corn for their road stands, they come here. Accord-ing to many of them, my corn is the best.”

The Skeba’s grow sweet corn on about 50 acres but the rest of their land is used for other vegetables, including soybeans. “We’ve always grown a little bit of everything: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, cantaloupes, wa-termelons, acorn squash, sweet corn, broccoli and cauli-flower.” Daniel went to Middlesex County College and has some real estate training as well. Asked about changes they’ve witnessed in once-rural Monroe Township, Daniel said housing and traffic have increased on many once-rural roads. “Moving equipment down the road is a challenge because some of the equipment is now wider than the roads, and there are some roads with guard rails that restrict your access,” Daniel said. “Over the years, I kept experimenting with differ-ent varieties of corn and how and what to feed it. Eventually it turned out big-ger and better than every-one else around here,” Joe added. With his Red Wagon Farm Stand that he founded 40 years ago and has been in various locations on Route 33, Joe said, “I learned a long time ago the price for vegetables was not high enough, so I had to open a retail stand. I put a red wagon out there with a cov-er.” Laurie, his wife, oversees the vegetable stand most days during the season. Their two daughters and two oth-er sons aren’t involved in the farm, though one son, Joe, owns his own farm in East Windsor. At 74, Joe said to a great extent, farming is the only life he’s ever known and has little interest in doing anything else. He loves working outdoors every day. “I’ve been working seven days a week since I was 10. I like the life. This is it, no boss, no rules, I just have to show up every day in the same place,” he said. “And, no commute.” *Originally published in The New Jersey Farmer, a publi-cation of American Farm Publications, Easton, MD.

Joe Skeba’s sweet corn is known

throughout New Jersey (photo by

Richard Skelly)

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Local Freeholder, WWII Vet Narozanick dies at 96

Freeholder TED was an inspiration to us all. He was a true friend to Rutgers Cooperative Extension and a real champion for agriculture. FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Theodore J. Narozanick, the long-time Monmouth County Freeholder and World War II veteran, died September 1,2017 at age 96 at The Manor in Freehold Township. Narozanick, known to many as "Ted," served in the U.S. First Army and Third Army during the Normandy, Northern France, Central Europe, Ardennes and Rhineland campaigns in the war. According to his obituary, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, European African

Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, and the American Service Medal 1945. After the war, Ted returned to his native Englishtown, where he opened a hardware and farm supply business. He would soon find a calling in politics, and would wind up spending nearly half a century in government service. He served seven years as an Englishtown councilman, 12 years as mayor and nine years as a member of the Manalapan-Englishtown Board of Education. In 1957, he started working for the county's budget director. He was appointed as the first county administrator in 1974. He was sworn into the Monmouth County Freeholders in 1986 and served there until deciding not to run for re- election in 2006 at the age of 85.His wife, Margaret, was ill and that drove his decision. "I thought about it," Narozanick said, "but with my wife's condition now, I thought that I did my best to serve the county. Now I can spend my time with her." She died in 2007. Upon his retirement, Narozanick said he was proud of his involvement in the opening of the county library in Manalapan, Brookdale Community College and the growth of the county vocational school district. “ I think he is the example of what public officials should strive to be in their personal, public and private life," said Frederick P. Niemann, the county Republican chairman at the time. (Asbury Park Press )

Above is a plaque dedicating the Monmouth County Agriculture Building to Freeholder Ted, presented to him by the Monmouth County Board of Ag

Anthony Thomas Abbatiello, 89, passed away on Friday October 20th at his home in Colts Neck after complications from congestive heart failure. The son of Italian immigrants from Staten Island, Anthony built his career around his love for horses. He spent several years competing in rodeos before settling down to become a successful standardbred horse trainer and driver. In 1954, An-thony established Five Point Farm which became the home of many outstanding standardbred horses including million dollar winners Newt Lobell and Taurus Romeo. A decorated Korean War veteran who rose to the rank of Captain, Anthony demonstrated courage under fire. Off the track, for 28 years Anthony served the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, both as Co-founder and President. Chairman of the Board of the United States Trotting Association, Director of the Stand-ardbred Owners of New York, Chairman of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Board of Directors, Trustee Chairman of the Board of the American Horse Council in Washington DC, and Trustee of the Trotting Horse Museum in Goshen, New York. In 2005, Anthony was appointed a member of the New Jersey Racing Commission by then Governor Cody and has been active ever since. Beyond his commitment to harness racing, Anthony served on the Board of Managers at Rutgers University and the Advisory Committee of the Federal Land Bank. Anthony's honors include: Harness Horse International Man of the Year, the New Jersey Horse Council's Horseman of the Year, the Clem McCarthy Good Guy Award, the New Jersey Sports Writers Association, Harness Racing Man of the Year and National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame Inductee. Anthony was inducted into the Harness Horse-man Living Hall of Fame.

Anthony Thomas Abbatiello

Anthony Abbatiello, Colts Neck

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Farmers say Maria wrecked bright spot

BARRANQUITAS, Puerto Rico — For 21 years Hector Alejandro Santiago spread joy throughout Puerto Rico with the poinsettias, orchids and other ornamental plants he raised and sold to major retailers including Costco, Walmart and Home Depot. In a matter of hours Hurricane Maria wiped it away. The greenhouses and other buildings on the 40 acres where he grew the plants and prepared them for customers lie in tatters, ripped to shreds by 155 mph winds and driving rain. Trees are flattened. “I will need to begin from zero,” said Santiago, 43, whose Cali Nurseries is located in Barranquitas, a small mountain city 34 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of San Juan. He’s

determined to rebuild and get back into business despite the losses he estimates at $1.5 million. Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm, the strongest to hit the island in a century. Nearly all 3.4 million people on the island were left without power and most without water. The hurricane devastated agriculture, a small bright spot of economic growth in a U.S. territory mired in a decade-long recession and crushing debt. While most of the island’s food is imported, statistics from the governor as of late 2016 show about 7,000 people working in agriculture, farm income growing and acres under cultivation up 50 percent over the past four years. Agricultural income is divided nearly equally between crop and livestock production, according to the most recent Census of Agriculture compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Puerto Rico in 2012. Crop sales generate about $271 million a year led by production of plantains, vegetables and melons, nursery and greenhouse crops, fruits and coffee. Livestock sales are about $276 million led by milk production, poultry and cattle, the report said.

Puerto Rico's agriculture industry was devastated by Hurricane Maria. U.S. Air Force photo by A1C Nicholas Dutton. Air Force Magazine, Public Domain

Rising CO2 changes plant photosynthesis

SAN DIEGO — Researchers led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego have determined that major changes in plant behavior have occurred over the past 40 years, using measurements of subtle changes in the carbon dioxide (CO2) currently found in the atmosphere. The work helps to understand the details of how leaves are responding to changes in CO2. Prior to this study, it was already clear that plants behave differently when they are exposed to higher atmospheric CO2 levels because CO2 influences the behavior of stomata, the microscopic holes in leaves that allow a leaf to take up CO2. These holes also allow water to evaporate from the leaf, which must be replenished by water supplied to the roots to avoid drying out. With more CO2 in the

atmosphere, a plant can afford to have smaller or fewer stomata, thus allowing more photosynthesis for the same

amount of water. The research supports a long-standing hypothesis introduced by plant biologists, that posits plants will achieve an optimum response to rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The increase in the efficiency of photosynthesis documented in this study has likely helped plants offset a portion of human-induced climate change by removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than they would have otherwise. “The full implications are still far from clear, however, and any benefits may be more

than offset by other negative changes, such as heat waves and extreme weather, biodiversity loss, sea level rise, and so on,” said Keeling.

Research from the University of California San Diego helps to understand the details of how leaves are responding to changes in CO2. (United Soy-bean Board via Flickr)

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ORCHID FARM & BROMELIADS

Horticulture in Hawaii—ASHS Conference

Hanging loose with the Hawaiian tour bus driver with a busload of Horticulturists

ALOHA ! Greetings from the Big Island with classic ornamental art NJAES Agents Bill Hlubik & Pete Nitzsche showcase new US strawberry movie

NJAES RCE Agent Bill Sciarappa receives national ASHS award for best educational publication from President John Dole (ctr), dines at awards luncheon Hawaiian style with ASHS Director Michael Neff and his daughter—a new Extension Agent in Vir-ginia. Bill also moderated the small fruit session, attended extension meetings, toured seven farms, presented a talk and a poster and also had an ASHS poster displayed about his RU-SEBS award winning pub of a 10 year study.

Photos above—Commercial ag is huge in Hawaiian pineapple landscape plants , treenuts, packing houses, and the national wild grown crop bread fruit (left –right). The macadamia nut farms are very comparable in culture and potential harvest equipment for our emerging hazelnut production program for New Jersey. Below—ASHS tours of orchid greenhouses, flower farms were highlighted by keynote speakers whose families started these industries.

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On October 21, 2017 NOFA-NJ held a backyard poultry class in collabora-tion hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County and Dr. Joseph Heckman, PhD, Rutgers Professor, and NOFA-NJ Board Mem-ber. NOFA, or North East Organic Farming Association, is a member-

ship based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting organic agriculture in New Jer-sey through education, tech-nical assistance, and advocacy. Dr. Heckman led this workshop to teach attendees proper care and management of chickens. Recent ordinances have allowed people with fewer than five acres of land in some areas to keep chickens. With an audi-ence eager to participate, the backyard poultry class had open discussion with an exchanging of information with Dr. Joe. Topics included poultry housing, free-range access, enrichment, diet, behavior, and winteriza-

tion. Several tips and tricks were shared for both new and seasoned poultry owners. Dr. Heckman thoroughly ex-plained his chicken coop and run design that he made by hand using items that can be purchased at a local hard-ware store. This coop and run gave him the ability to move his chickens after a set amount of time giving the birds a fresh spot of land to forage. This design is easy to build and tested successfully on a two-acre farm, making it available for backyard poultry owners to replicate. Dr. Heckman fur-

ther discussed research he conducted that verified the land was rejuvenated due to the chickens’ impact. From the efforts of the North East Organic Farming Association, Rutgers Agricul-tural Experiment Station, and Rutgers Cooperative Exten-sion, research based infor-mation such as backyard chicken care can be distribut-ed throughout the community using workshops that further connect the public with these organizations.

Between July 11th – 14th 2017 over 250 4-H members from 35 different countries were on hand for the second ever 4-H Global Youth Summit in Ottawa, Canada. Some of the goals of the 4-H Global Youth Summit were, amongst others, to increase awareness and knowledge of the 4-H movement globally, to in-crease awareness and understand-ing of 4-H programs, and to build the capacity of 4-H youth members, 4-H volunteers/leaders, and 4-H professional staff. Whether in Eu-rope, Asia, Africa, or right here in Monmouth County, 4-H equips youth with leadership skills and provides a sense of belonging. Monmouth County 4-H Agent Matthew Newman attended the conference as a NJ representative . Newman said of his Canadian experience “what was so great was seeing that, though these young people come from all different walks of life and have different customs and cultures, they all came together.

The 4-H pledge ends with the lines, ‘for my club, my com-munity, my country and my world.’ These young people are the living embodiment of that.” Though the four “H’s” themselves may be different in different countries [for ex-ample, in Korea, the four “H’s” are chi (head), dok

(heart), no (hands), and che (health) and in Costa Rica 4-H is actually called 4-S, where the “S’s” stand for stand for saber (head), salud (health), sentimien-to (heart) and servicio (hand)], the underlying philosophy under-scoring 4-H programs is the same the world over. As a movement, 4-H was born to spread hard sci-ence as well as shape character.

To take advantage of global educa-tional opportunities, youth in Mon-

mouth County need look no further than their own Rut-gers Cooperative Extension office/4-H programs where the world is brought to them.

4-H Global Youth Summit

Backyard Poultry

Monmouth County 4-H Agent & article reporter Matthew Newman at the 4-H Global Youth Summit

From l to r: Adrian Hyde, Executive Director of NOFA; Amelia Valente 4-H;Dr. Joseph Heckman; Dennis McNamara,- RCE Agricultural Associate; Pamela Koskoff. Reported by Amelia Valente

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Managing Horse Pastures over the winter (Animal Science Update)

By CAREY A. WILLIAMS,Equine Extension Specialist at Rutgers University & PhD Student, Jennifer Weinert

(Oct. 1, 2017) As we enter fall, it is important to begin considering how to manage our pastures in the late autumn through the winter months. Even though our pasture forages aren’t actively growing during this time, the management decisions that we make now can have a profound impact on the amount and quality of forage available for grazing next spring. The most important component of fall/winter pasture management is providing time for the pasture forage to rest. It may seem easier to leave horses in their current pasture over the winter months, as this cuts down on labor and doesn’t require constructing a separate dry lot or confining them in stalls. However, failing to remove horses from pasture in winter can cause up to a 38-percent reduction in pasture yield the following spring! The timing of fall removal is also important. Pastures should be grazed to a height no lower than three inches , this same rule applies in fall . When horses have grazed forage down to that three-inch height, they should be removed from their fall pasture and confined to a sacrifice lot until pasture grasses regrow in the spring. For each day delayed, spring pasture yield can decrease up to nine pounds per acre! While it might be tempting to turn horses out in the pasture at the first sight of green grass in the spring, it is also important to wait to begin grazing until pasture forage has regrown to a height of six to eight inches. Grazing too soon damages young plants can lead to poor growth and permanent damage to pasture forage. Following these practices will not only have a positive impact on total pasture yield, but can also affect persistence of desirable varieties of pasture grass. Overgrazing and stressing pasture forage can lead to a decrease in plant cover and an increase in areas of bare ground within the pasture.

If exposed bare ground exceeds 30 percent of the pasture area, this greatly increases risks of erosion and surface water contamination. Additionally, these bare areas create a great opportunity for weeds to grow, establish and take over your pasture as the growing season progresses. As weeds become more established, desirable grasses like Kentucky bluegrass or Tall Fescue have difficulty competing for soil nutrients, and the proportion of these grasses (that cost a lot of money to plant in pasture!) becomes progressively lower.

While there is no doubting the value of incorporating winter rest into a pasture management plan, other pasture Best Management Practices are also crucial for optimal pasture production. Utilizing rotational grazing systems, where horses are moved between sections of pasture based upon available forage, decreases the amount of stress placed on both pasture plants and the underlying soil. Some rotational systems even incorporate a ‘winter section’ where horse are allowed turnout there in the winter, with the plan to rest and renovate that section in the spring.

A study at Rutgers showed after a period of winter rest, rotationally grazed pastures had greater forage yield and height, a lower % of bare ground and weeds and a higher % of desirable grasses than traditionally managed, continuously grazed pastures. In fact, differences in pasture yield persisted until August! Getting the most out of pastures requires a comprehensive year-round pasture management plan. Allowing pastures to rest over winter will help maintain pasture quality and help save money on expensive supplemental feed, as pastures will produce at higher levels. Even small changes in management can help improve pasture productivity! For more information on pasture BMPs, please see the many pasture publication under “Animal Agriculture” at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/.

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AGENCY UPDATES

Call for Farmer Grant applications Farmer grants are for farm business owners and managers who have an innovative idea to test using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, marketing initiative, or other technique. Projects should seek results other farmers can use and must have the potential to add to our region's knowledge about effective sustainable practices. A slide presentation provides an overview of the Farmer Grants program. Awards are capped at $15,000 and projects may address the wide range of issues that affect farming throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Applicants must work with a technical advisor who serves in a consulting capacity. Online applications due midnight December 5, 2017

Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Applications

OFRF's 2018 Organic Farming Research Conference January 26, 2018 Rutgers University, New Jersey

The symposium will feature talks from researchers, farmer and rancher researchers, students, and other agriculture specialists on topics related to organic farm-ing and food systems, as well as from other systems of sustainable agriculture that employ techniques compati-ble with organic standards. The intent of the symposium is to provide current information to farmers, ranchers, extension staff, educators, agricultural professionals, and others interested in organic agriculture. For more information, please visit ofrf.org.

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Nov. 2017 13-14 Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, Princeton Westin at Forrestal Village. For more info call 609-393-7163 29-30 Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training and Third Party Audit, Rutgers Snyder Re-search Farm, 140 Locust Grove Rd., Pittstown, NJ; To register visit: https://rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com or contact Tammy 856-451-2800 x 1. 30-Irrigation Systems: Repair and Maintenance, Rutgers Con-tinuing Ed., Extension Conference Center, 18 Ag Extension Way, New Brunswick, NJ; 9am-4pm; $245 by 11/16; $270 after. For more information call Joe Canzano 848-932-7317 or visit: www.cpe.rutgers.edu/landscape Dec 2017 14-NJ Fertilizer Recertification Program, Cook Student Center, 59 Biel Rd., New Brunswick, 8:30am-1pm, $145 per person with multiple person discounts, NJ Fertilizer credits – 8 units. For info call Joe Canzano 848-932-7317 Jan 2018 3-Pest Management of Ornamental Landscape Plants, Exten-sion Conference Center, 18 Ag Extension Way, New Brunswick, NJ; 9am-3:30pm: $195 by 12/26; $210 after. Credits: 4-3B and 8-3A & PP2. Breakfast and lunch. For info call Joe Canzano 848-932-7317 or visit: www.cpe.rutgers.edu 9-11—Northeastern Plant, Pest, and Soils Conference. Visit NEPPSC.org to register for the conference, book hotel rooms, and obtain other information related to the conference. Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing 201 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. Philadephia, PA 19106 Jan 30-Feb 1-2018 Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention, Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Member Registration: $75 advanced; walk-in $90. Non-member registration $125 one day or $165 three days. Pre-registration for workshops and tour is required. For info call Maureen Irvin 717-677-4184 or visit: www.mafvc.org Feb. 2018 7, 8, 9-New Jersey Agricultural Convention & Trade Show. Harrah’s, Atlantic City. For more information contact Donna Dugan at donnavga52010@comcast.net. 23-Central Jersey Vegetable Grower’s Meeting. RCE Mon-mouth County Ag Building, 4000 Kozloski Rd., Freehold, NJ. Joanne 732-431-7260.

CALENDAR

2018 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW

FEB. 6,7 8, 2018

MONMOUTH COUNTY BOA https://co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=3065

2017—11/21,12/19 2018—1/16,2/20,3/20, 4/17,5/15

BASIC PESTICIDE TRAINING

CORE 9 am-1pm—11/14,12/5 Exams - First Thursday of the month

Held at Rutgers Cooperative Extension - Ag Bldg.

4000 Kozloski Rd. Freehold, NJ 732-431-7260

Monmouth County IT gave our office an excellent upgrade for our newsletter/

graphics functions with dual screens for editing and stand-up desktop stations

for employees health. Ag/4-H Clerk Dorey Grimes rates the improvement a

10 !

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs

or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director's Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 848-932-3584.

Jersey Fresh Availability & Forecast

Report http://www.jerseyfresh.nj.gov/

Newsletter printed courtesy of the

Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Rutgers Cooperative Extension– Agriculture, Family and Community Health Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Resource

Management, and Marine Studies– welcomes this opportunity to send you the enclosed materials for your infor-

mation and use. Educational programs and information are provided to all people without regard to sex, race,

color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs sexual orientation, or marital or family status.

Bill Sciarappa, County Agricultural Agent

Extension Department Head

RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION MONMOUTH COUNTY

New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

PO Box 5033, 4000 Kozloski Rd., Freehold, NJ 07728

Changing Times is produced and edited by Bill Sciarappa and Dorey Grimes

sciarappa@njaes.rutgers.edu

Past Issues on the web http://www.visitmonmouth.com/page.aspx?Id=3078