(TRENTON, NJ) ― The SADC and NOFA-NJ are sponsoring three regional meetings for landowners on June 4, 6 and 14 to discuss leasing resources, opportunities, and experiences.

The meetings are specially designed for farmland owners who are currently making, or are interested in making, their land available for farming. Landowners who attend will: Learn about the access-to-land issues faced by farmers; hear from farmer speakers on their leasing experiences and recommendations; network with and hear from other landowners; provide feedback to help shape the SADC’s development of new leasing resources; and learn about leasing opportunities through Farm Link and NOFA-NJ.

The meeting scheduled is: North Meeting – Monday, June 4, 7 p.m., Genesis Farm, Blairstown; South Meeting – Wednesday, June 6, 7 p.m., Salem County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office; Central Meeting – Thursday June 14, 7 p.m., Mercer County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office.

A fourth meeting for non-profit, land trust, and municipal/county landowners is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, 2-4 p.m. at D&R Greenway in Princeton, NJ.

For more information or to confirm you are planning to attend, contact hillary.barile@ag.state.nj.us or (609) 984-2504.

The meetings above are part of a project the SADC is working on in 2012 to enhance leasing resources for New Jersey farmers and landowners.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) ― Driven by favorable prices, U.S. farmers intend to plant 95.9 million acres of corn in 2012, up four percent from 2011, according to the Prospective Plantings report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). If realized, this will be the largest corn acreage in the United States since 1937, when producers planted 97.2 million acres of corn.

Producers across many of the Corn Belt states are expected to set new record highs in 2012. Farmers in Iowa, the top U.S. corn-growing state, intend to set a new record for the state by planting 14.6 million acres, up four percent from 2011. Growers in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota also intend to plant record-high acreages. The largest year-over-year increase is expected in North Dakota, where farmers are recovering from last year’s floods and declared their intentions to plant 3.4 million acres of corn, up 52 percent from last year.

Source: USDA NASS

One hundred and fifty years ago, on May 15, 1862, in the midst of a great Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to establish a Department of Agriculture in order to "acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture…and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants."

Armed with these broad mandates, the "People’s Department," as he called it, set about to serve American farmers and a mostly rural American landscape. At that time, almost half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with about 2 percent today. The population in 1862 was then about 31.4 million and today, that number has increased tenfold to almost 313 million people.

After President Lincoln signed the bill establishing the Department of Agriculture, he received much unsolicited advice, particularly in the columns of the farm press, on the appointment of the first Commissioner of Agriculture. Some urged the appointment of a distinguished scientist, others an outstanding "practical" man. However, Lincoln turned to Isaac Newton, a farmer who had served as chief of the agricultural section of the Patent Office since August 1861.

Newton was born in Burlington County, New Jersey. He grew up on a farm, and after completing his common-school education, became a farmer in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.

The first Secretary of Agriculture was Norman J. Coleman under President Grover Cleveland.

Today, Tom Vilsack is Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture. He was sworn in as the 30th Secretary on January 21, 2009. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Vilsack received unanimous support for his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) – What are the key issues facing NJ’s agricultural, gardening and landscaping community? How can these sectors prepare to lead ahead of the curve? One resource available is the professional leadership development training provided the New Jersey’s Agricultural Leadership Development (NJALDP) offered through a partnership of Rutgers University along with New Jersey Department of Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau and the Agricultural Society.

NJALDP is a two year professional leadership development course designed for people who work in agriculture, gardening, landscaping and other ag related sectors. Over the past 18 years, close to 200 NJ farmers and ag- related professionals have participated in leadership development training provided by NJALDP. Program graduates serve in leadership roles in almost every facet of the industry as well as elected positions throughout NJ. Others have gone on to expand their businesses and careers and, developed new markets and products.

Individuals affiliated with gardening, landscaping, nursery, nutrition and the food industry, fish and wildlife, environmental and conservation organizations, State, County or municipal government, all have a relationship to agriculture. Applicants from these sectors would benefit from this training which would then benefit the overall agricultural and environmental industries in New Jersey.

The next class will focus on local agriculture and the issues, challenges and skills necessary to advance and lead the industry. The seminar schedule for Class IX will entail 12 meetings spread out over the two year course. Seminar meeting dates are set after the class is accepted to maximize participation.

Applications are being accepted now for NJALDP Class IX which will start in the fall of 2012. Contact Dr. Mary Nikola at nikola@aesop.rutgers.edu or (848) 932-3719 for additional information.

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Exmark Quest 42″ ZRT Riding Mowers

Units: About 2,200

Manufacturer: Exmark Mfg. Co. Inc., of Beatrice, Neb.

Hazard: Bearings supporting the riding mower’s deck can fail and cause the deck to interfere with the operator’s controls, resulting in a crash hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Exmark has received 18 reports of incidents. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves 2009-2010 Exmark Quest ZRT riding mowers with 42-inch mower decks, model number “QST20BE422″ and serial numbers ranging from 790,000 through 860,652. The model and serial numbers are on a metal plate behind the seat. “Exmark” is printed on the side and “Quest” is printed on the front of the mowers. The mowers are red and gray.

Sold at: Exmark dealers nationwide from March 2009 through April 2010 for between $4,200 and $4,400.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled mowers immediately and contact an Exmark dealer to schedule a free repair and/or to check if the repair has already been made to the mower. Exmark has contacted registered owners of the recalled mowers.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Exmark at (800) 667-5296 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.exmark.com/safety.aspx or visit www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12732.html.

(WEST TRENTON, NJ) – The New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Farmers Against Hunger (FAH) program will be forming its first Volunteer Leader Team to help support the mission of the organization.

Join the fun in helping an agricultural organization whose mission is to help provide fresh produce to those in need.

The 2012 Volunteer Leader Team is a great opportunity for teen leaders, college students, recent grads, retirees and anyone who enjoys volunteering. Volunteers will receive training and will have the opportunity to select a leadership role from areas including Gleanings, Fundraisers, Outreach, and Marketing.

All volunteers must attend at least one Training Meeting and commit to at least one event or task leading up to an event. Volunteer meetings will be held bi-monthly (May, July, September, and November).

The first Volunteer Leader Team Introductory Meeting will be held on May 31 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension – Middlesex County – EARTH CENTER – 42 Riva Avenue, South Brunswick, NJ – inside Davidson’s Mill Pond Park.

Farmers Against Hunger was founded in 1996 as a program within the New Jersey Agricultural Society as farmers wanted to see their unsold produce go to people in need. Today, FAH collects and distributes over 1 million pounds of fresh produce and delivers this produce to over 70 community organizations. FAH utilizes over 1200 volunteers to help harvest excess produce, which feeds 7,000 people weekly throughout the harvest season.

To learn more visit www.njagsociety.org or Facebook: NJ Farmers Against Hunger.

(HILLSBOROUGH, NJ) – A new program designed to provide a helping hand for beginning farmers is set to debut in the coming year. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) is launching an incubator farm on Duke Farms in Hillsborough that will create a network of solutions to a complex issue – too few beginning farmers and not enough access to farmland. The goal is to once again make small-scale farming a viable profession in New Jersey.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average age of American farmers is over 55 and continues to increase, while the number of young farmers under the age of 25 has declined by 30 percent. At the same time, new people are coming to agriculture and beginning farm enterprises; however, many of these new farmers do not come from farming backgrounds and may not possess the technical or hands-on skills needed to start a successful farming business. In response to this issue, the USDA has begun to grant funds to regionally-based groups to train and support beginning farmers through their Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. NOFA-NJ was a recipient a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Grant in 2011.

Application information on the Beginner Farmer Program will be available later this year and farming will get underway in the fall of 2012. This project was supported by a three year Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant #2011-49400-30739.

For more information, visit the NOFA-NJ Website at www.nofanj.org.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in cooperation with Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership of Sullivan, Illinois, has recalled 2,700 riding lawn tractors due to a crash hazard. The recall involves 2,700 Cub Cadet, MTD Gold, and Troy-Bilt lawn tractors made in the U.S. and sold with Hydro-Gear model 618-0319 and 618-04270B transaxles. These lawn tractors were sold throughout the U.S. from January 2011 through January 2012.

The dates of manufacture (DOM) of the recalled tractors range from December, 2010 through March, 2011. The date of manufacture of the tractors can be found on a label located under the tractor’s seat. Of the Cub Cadet tractors, the following mower types are involved in this recall: LTX 1045, LTX 1046KW, LTX 1046M, LTX 1050KH, LTX 1050KW, SLTX 1050, and SLTX 1054. Of the MTD Gold brand tractors, the Hydro mower is recalled; and of the Troy-Bilt tractors, the TB2450 mower type is involved.

All of the tractors being recalled have the transaxle serial numbers from 0333 through 0348, which can be found on a label on the transaxles.

Contractor should stop using the tractors immediately and contact the company to make arrangements for a repair by an authorized dealer. Consumers should call (888) 848-6038 or visit these websites at www.cubcadet.com, www.troybilt.com or www.MTDproducts.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of the Honda model number HHT35SUKAT gas-powered grass trimmer because the shaft can crack and cause the lower gear case and cutting attachment to detach, posing a laceration hazard to the operator and bystanders.

Honda is aware of 11 incidents of broken or cracked shafts. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled grass trimmer is made by Honda and has the model number HHT35SUKAT. The trimmer is gas-powered and has a red engine housing with the word "Honda" on the top front and a bicycle handlebar-style grip. A label on the shaft includes the words "Honda" and "HHT35S." Recalled trimmers are in the serial number range HAHA-1000001 to HAHA-1017345. The serial number is located on the top side of the shaft below the handlebars.

Consumers should immediately stop using these trimmers and contact the nearest Honda Power Equipment dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. It is also illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

For more information, contact American Honda toll-free at (888) 888-3139 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the American Honda’s website at http://powerequipment.honda.com.

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) — Horticulture internships are available at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown and the Willowwood Arboretum in Chester, New Jersey, for the 2012 growing season. Interns participate in all aspects of garden and arboretum management including planting, mulching, watering, weeding, pruning, fertilizing, mowing, propagating, and record keeping. Interns rotate through the different specialty gardens and collections and may select an area of concentration. Applicants should possess a keen interest in horticulture and must enjoy physical work outdoors.

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to Kate Gutierrez, Morris County Park Commission, P.O. Box 1295, Morristown, NJ 07962. For additional information, call (973) 326-7629 or e-mail kgutierrez@morrisparks.net.

The Morris County Park Commission is an equal opportunity employer.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) —The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new cherry tree variety named for former First Lady Helen Taft to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese gift of cherry trees that now are a celebrated landmark of the nation’s capital.

Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Iwa Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in a ceremony on March 27, 1912.

The "Helen Taft" variety is part of a series of flowering cherry tree varieties being developed by the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington and named in honor of first ladies. The new variety was created by crossing a Yoshino cherry (Prunus × yedoensis) with a Taiwan cherry tree (Prunus campanulata). The Yoshino parent, currently growing at the arboretum, is a clone of a tree originally planted by Chinda.

The arboretum is part of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency.

Growing to as much as 35 feet tall and 35 feet wide over 30 years, "Helen Taft" has large, pale pink single flowers that turn darker in the center as the flowers mature. While most Yoshino flowering trees’ blossoms are white or fade to white, the "Helen Taft" flowers retain their pink color.

"Helen Taft is an invaluable addition to the cadre of ornamental cherry trees," said U.S. National Arboretum Director Colien Hefferan. "Unfortunately, cherry trees have a narrow genetic base, especially in this country. That can make them vulnerable to attack by a single insect, disease or environmental stress."

Ornamental cherry trees have a beauty and range of sizes and habits that serve urban gardeners well. Superior urban trees help provide energy savings, cleaner air, better storm water management, and higher property values for home owners. Landscape plants, including ornamental trees, are a $14.3 billion-a-year industry in the United States.

"That’s what makes the arboretum’s research—expanding the genetic base by creating hybrids with species not often grown here—so important," said geneticist Margaret Pooler, who runs the cherry tree breeding program at the U.S. National Arboretum. "Stronger, well-adapted cherries also require less fertilizer and pesticides, making them even more functional in the landscape. The arboretum fulfills an important role with its long-term breeding program to improve ornamental cherry trees."

With 76 different varieties, the U.S. National Arboretum is home to the Washington area’s most diverse array of ornamental cherry trees.

The U.S. National Arboretum has also helped preserve the genetic lineage of the surviving Yoshino cherry trees from the original 1912 gift by propagating 500 trees from them. The new trees were presented to the National Park Service in 1999.

"Helen Taft" is the second variety in the First Lady series. The initial, a 25-foot-tall, upright tree with dark pink, single, semi-pendulous flowers, was released in 2003 and is named "First Lady."

Historical materials documenting Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the city of Washington, D.C., are available in the Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library and online at http://riley.nal.usda.gov/cherrytrees.html.

USDA officials learned late Friday afternoon, March 16th, 2012, that fraudulent letters are being sent by FAX to individuals and businesses in at least five states. The letters purportedly come from a USDA procurement officer and seek personal information. These letters are false and in no case should a recipient respond with personal and financial information. The fraudulent letters bear USDA’s logo and seal and are signed by an individual identified as "Frank Rutenberg" using a title of "Senior Procurement Officer". Letters have been received by FAX in Alabama, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, but may have also been sent many more. Recipients should not respond and should not supply the requested information. USDA is investigating this matter through the Office of the Inspector General.

If you suspect you have received such a letter or have questions please contact USDA at: procurement.policy@dm.usda.gov or call 202-720-9448.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

(TRENTON, NJ) – Last year, more than 80,000 plastic pesticide containers were recycled through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program.

That program will continue in 2012 starting Thursday, April 5 with 21 collection days April through November in Hammonton, Atlantic County, Deerfield, Cumberland County and Woodstown, Salem County.

"Recyling these plastic containers is an environmentally sound practice, keeping them out of our state’s landfills," said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. "We encourage pesticide applicators and businesses to participate in the free program."

Launched in 2002, the program — a cooperative effort between the Department, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, Helena Chemical, Cumberland County Improvement Authority, Salem County Improvement Authority, and the Salem County Board of Agriculture — collects plastic pesticide containers from all categories of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection-licensed pesticide applicators and custom application businesses.

To date, more than 287,000 pounds of HDPE plastic pesticide containers have been kept out of the landfills. Among the uses for the recycled plastic are plastic pesticide containers, industrial pallets, hazardous waste drums, speed bumps, parking stops, dock and sea wall pilings and agricultural drain pipe.

All three collection site also will be accepting clean cardboard since the pesticide containers are distributed in cardboard boxes.

To view the 2012 collection schedule, visit www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/pesticidecontsched.html

To learn more about the Department of Agriculture’s recycling programs, go to www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/recycling.html

For further information, contact Karen Kritz at 609-984-2506 or Karen.kritz@ag.state.nj.us.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced the schedule for the 2012 agricultural labor data collection and the Farm Labor report releases. In 2012, NASS will conduct the survey in April and October, with the results published on May 17 and November 15 respectively. The survey will ask producers to provide data for both the current and previous quarters. NASS will continue to publish quarterly data to ensure it is easily comparable to the previously published reports. The past Farm Labor reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov .

(TRENTON, NJ) — For the fourth year in a row and the sixth time in the last 12 years, a New Jersey farmer has been chosen as a National Outstanding Young Farmer.

Paul "Duce" Tallamy II, a beef and produce farmer from Wantage, Sussex County, was named one of the four 2012 National Outstanding Young Farmers on February 11 by the National Outstanding Young Farmer Congress in Springdale, Arkansas.

John Melick from Oldwick, Richard A. Norz from Hillsborough and H. William Sytsema from Wantage, were 2011, 2010 and 2009 New Jersey Outstanding Young Farmers who went on to become national winners. Since 1999, every New Jersey Outstanding Young Farmer has been among the top 10 National Outstanding Young Farmers, as well. The goals of the OYF program are to foster better urban-rural relations through the understanding of farmers’ challenges, as well as the appreciation of their contributions and achievements; to bring about a greater interest in farmers/ranchers; and to help build an urban awareness of the farmers’ importance and impact on America’s economy.

Outstanding Young Farmer nominees must be farm operators, deriving a minimum of two-thirds of their income from farming and must be between the ages of 21-40, not becoming 41 prior to the National OYF Awards Congress. The OYF program is the oldest farmer recognition program in the United States, selecting its first group of national winners in 1955.

For more information about the New Jersey Outstanding Young Farmer Program, visit nj.gov/agriculture/about/sba/cover.html

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater accuracy and detail.

For the first time, the new map offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format and is specifically designed to be Internet-friendly. The map website also incorporates a “find your zone by ZIP code” function. Static images of national, regional and state maps also have been included to ensure the map is readily accessible to those who lack broadband Internet access.

Plant hardiness zone designations represent the average annual extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. They do not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time. Low temperature during the winter is a crucial factor in the survival of plants at specific locations.

The new map—jointly developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University’s (OSU) PRISM Climate Group—is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov