Anna and Ava from Hunterdon County 4-H spent the past year as youth leaders with the NJ 4-H Agriculture Ambassador Program, educating the public about agriculture, sharing their knowledge, and highlighting the important role agriculture plays in our everyday lives.

The future of agriculture depends on young people who can champion the industry, communicate its value, and help shape its direction. Fourteen New Jersey 4-H members from eight counties have been selected for the 2027 NJ 4-H Agriculture Ambassador Program, a statewide leadership initiative preparing teens to represent and promote agriculture across New Jersey, and led by Melissa Bright, 4-H agent, Somerset County.

Launched in fall 2024 through a partnership between National 4-H Council and Nutrien, the program gives high school youth opportunities to deepen their understanding of agriculture while developing skills in leadership, public speaking, communication, and advocacy. Open to active New Jersey 4-H members in grades 9 through 13, the program welcomes teens with interests spanning farming, animal science, food systems, and natural resources.

Avery from Gloucester County 4-H, proudly serving as NJ 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors.

Throughout the program year, ambassadors will connect with agricultural industry professionals, explore career pathways, and learn about current issues affecting the industry. “Educational programs, agricultural tours, leadership development experiences, and outreach activities help them build confidence in communicating agriculture’s importance to diverse audiences,” said Bright.

The 2027 cohort represents Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Salem, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties. Together, these young leaders will build connections across the state while gaining firsthand insight into the people, practices, and systems that sustain New Jersey agriculture.

By equipping youth with the knowledge and skills to engage their communities, New Jersey 4-H is helping cultivate a new generation of agricultural advocates, professionals, and leaders prepared to advance the industry’s future.

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The surprise discovery of a natural fruit fly repellent could lead to new controls for one of New Jersey’s biggest blueberry pests. Photo: Keisuke Ferguson

Rutgers scientists have identified natural repellents against an invasive blueberry pest, a scientific breakthrough that was accidentally discovered when fruit flies invaded their laboratory.

The accident, more than a decade in the making, could one day transform how commercial crops are protected.

“As a kid, this is what I thought science was – you stumble on something and go, ‘Eureka!’” said Beth Ferguson, a postdoctoral researcher at the Rutgers Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research, and lead author of the study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. “Of course, that doesn’t happen most of the time, which is why I call this a very happy accident.”

Each summer, Ferguson and colleagues conduct research on an invasive fruit fly, the spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii). Found in New Jersey in 2011, the fly is one of the biggest threats to commercial fruit production, particularly soft-fleshed fruit such as blueberries.

Unlike other Drosophila flies, which lay eggs on and feed on rotten fruit, the spotted-wing drills into intact, ripening fruit, using a saw-like tube to deposit its eggs. The fly larvae hatch and destroy the fruit from within. 

The resulting spoilage is costly to producers. In 2025, New Jersey growers produced 47.5 million pounds of blueberries, with a production value of more than $94 million. The state consistently ranks among the top blueberry producers nationwide, and blueberries are New Jersey’s No. 1 crop. 

But growers spend heavily on chemical insecticides, which do not always provide complete control and can harm nontarget organisms.

In their lab, Ferguson and colleagues breed colonies of spotted wing to test new, nonchemical management strategies. And nearly every summer, something curious happened to the colonies they raised: the enclosure, located close to the research center’s kitchen, would be invaded by a common fruit fly, D. melanogaster, which led to die-offs of the spotted-wing flies.

With thousands of flies in these containers, not even a skilled researcher can differentiate them with the naked eye, said Ferguson. But fly colonies do have different smells, and when enough D. melanogaster flies had reproduced to outnumber the spotted wing flies, the scent was unmistakable. 

“We’d notice a smell change, going from a spotted wing-smell – like corn meal – to a very heavy vinegar decay odor, which is the telltale smell of melanogaster,” said Ferguson.

In nature, the two flies often avoid competition. But the accident of placing the enclosure near the kitchen, where melanogaster flies would feed on rotting fruits, fueled a hidden rivalry.

Ferguson noticed that as the vinegar smell intensified, a strange film-like deposit was forming on the flies’ food source. As with dogs marking territory, fruit flies mark food and egg-laying areas by depositing fecal and gut fungi. Ferguson swabbed the film and worked with colleague James Polashock from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to identify the yeast.

She and lab director Cesar Rodriguez-Saona then reached out to Jennifer S. Sun, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers–New Brunswick, and a coauthor of the paper. 

Sun and undergraduate researcher Tia Hart ran a series of tests to confirm the spotted wing’s aversion to melanogaster’s fungi and how exposure affected the fly’s egg-laying preferences. “Our first question was whether this is truly repulsive to spotted wing,” said Sun. “The answer came quick.”

What she found was striking: The yeast “elicited aversive responses” in spotted wing while remaining attractive to melanogaster. Spotted wing flies also laid far fewer eggs after having encountered the yeast. 

Further testing will be needed to assess how the lab-produced compound might behave in nature. Ferguson said it can take years from discovery to gain regulatory approval. 

But already, the eureka moment is paying dividends. 

“I’ve been using it as a model for my students, explaining that when an experiment yields unexpected results, they shouldn’t assume that they did something wrong,” said Sun. “Instead, they could ask why it’s happening, and if there’s another phenomenon we could be studying. When the scientific process is used in experimentation, the result could be a very fruitful project like this one.”

This work was funded by several grants, including $2.1 million (award number R35GM165839) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

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Gloucester County 4-H youth member earned Reserve Grand Champion Junior Showman at the NJ 4-H Beef Show held during the Burlington County Farm Fair.

From the show ring to national learning opportunities, New Jersey 4-H youth spent the summer building livestock expertise, strengthening leadership skills, and exploring careers in animal agriculture.

The 2026 New Jersey 4-H Beef Show, held at the Burlington County Farm Fair, brought together 45 youth from seven counties to exhibit 62 head of cattle. Participants competed in showmanship, fitting, and market and breeding cattle classes, gaining hands-on experience in animal husbandry, decision-making, and communication. The Sussex County team earned top honors in the County Herd competition.

At the 2026 New Jersey 4-H Dairy Show, also held at the fair, youth exhibited Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Jersey, and Holstein cattle in conformation and showmanship classes. The youth sharpened their animal management and evaluation skills while practicing public speaking and sportsmanship. Participants also earned recognition in breed classes, championships, and showmanship competitions.

Gloucester County 4-H youth member earning Reserve Grand Champion Junior Showman at the NJ 4-H Beef Show at the Burlington County Farm Fair.

In addition to the show ring, New Jersey 4-H members participated in dairy judging and dairy quiz bowl activities, applying their knowledge and critical-thinking skills while learning alongside their peers. One member, who was selected to attend the National 4-H Dairy Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 29 to 30, joined youth from across the U.S. to explore dairy industry careers, leadership opportunities, and emerging issues in animal agriculture.

Together, these experiences demonstrate how New Jersey 4-H connects hands-on agricultural learning with personal growth, helping young people develop practical skills, build confidence, and discover pathways to future education and careers in the beef and dairy industries.

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Rosahirene “Rosy” Andrade Cordova planted hundreds of marigolds with the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm team and appreciates the flower’s “scent that feels like a warm hug from my family in Mexico.” Photo: Erin Quinn

For Rosahirene “Rosy” Andrade Cordova, gardening began very simply as a hobby in her yard. But as she watched plants grow and discovered the satisfaction of caring for them, she began to recognize something deeper.

“I realized that I had a very strong connection to the process of growing different kinds of plants,” she said. “It was always something that brought me joy growing up.”

Today, that early connection has grown into an academic interest and professional career trajectory. A sophomore majoring in plant science within the horticulture and agriculture track at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Rosy is gaining practical skills and applied knowledge through an experiential learning opportunity at Healthy Harvest, the SEBS food access and urban agriculture hub on Jones Avenue in New Brunswick.

Her garden-focused project, which began in July and extends into the fall semester, has given her the opportunity to apply concepts from her coursework to an actual urban growing environment while contributing to a community she knows well.

“I grew up in New Brunswick and doing my experiential learning at Healthy Harvest meant I could give back to the place I once grew up in,” she said.

Rosy’s experiential learning project focuses on crop planning for the upcoming growing seasons, building upon her current engagement on site in the urban gardens. Her responsibilities include tracking crop rotation, identifying spacing requirements, determining the number of plants needed for each section of the garden, and preparing a garden layout and design.

Rosy on one of many days spent learning, growing, and working with the Student Farm.

The work is part of a broader effort to help the urban Student Farm at Healthy Harvest plan effectively for future crop production, which includes growing fresh vegetables that will support food insecure students and community residents.

“Rosy helped create a crop rotation plan for the urban Student Farm at Healthy Harvest this summer,” said Meagan Terry, assistant director of Sustainable Agriculture & Urban Farms at Rutgers Gardens. “It is important to understand which crops can grow appropriately within each season of the year to maximize efficiency in crop production and time, and to minimize pest and disease pressure via crop rotation.”

For Rosy, that means looking at the garden not simply as a collection of individual plants, but as an interconnected system. She researched crop rotation and intercropping—the practice of growing different crops together—and is helping prepare beds for the crop rotation planned for the fall.

One of her learning goals is to understand best practices for sustainable urban food production through hands-on garden preparation, planting and care.

The project also exposes her to the practical considerations that shape what can be grown in an urban community garden, from the amount of available space to appropriate spacing between plants and the timing of different crops.

The urban Student Farm and community garden at Healthy Harvest appeal to Rosy because the growing spaces connect her academic interests with the community where she grew up.

Anahi Nicolas Gaspar, urban farm coordinator and a mentor to Rosy, focuses on growing cultural crops that are commonly enjoyed by New Brunswick residents. For Rosy, that community focus makes the opportunity particularly meaningful.

She is also drawn to the flowers planned for the fall harvest.

“Many of our in-ground beds are for marigolds and celosias, important flowers that will be sold ahead of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at the end of October,” Terry said.

For Rosy, the flowers carry a significance that extends well beyond the garden.

“I was inspired primarily because of how most of the harvests that I will do in the fall will be celosias and marigolds which are two flowers that are deeply rooted in my culture for Dia de los Muertos,” she said.

One of the marigold beds under Rosy’s care at the Healthy Harvest site.

The experience has allowed her to see the connection between sustainable agriculture, community needs, and cultural traditions.

“I am Mexican and seeing and smelling so many marigolds fills my heart with a lot of joy because it reminds me of my family back in Mexico,” Rosy said.

Like any hands-on experience, the project came with challenges. For Rosy, one of the first was understanding measurements and spacing.

“When I was doing the model of how I wanted the rotation to look, I kept messing up the spacing of the beds and the aisles and I had to keep redoing it,” she said.

But the repeated adjustments became part of the learning process. Rather than simply being given the correct measurements, Rosy had to work through the problem and develop a plan that would function in the available space.

That kind of practical decision-making is central to experiential learning.

Rosy also developed hands-on skills in planting different crops, working with drip irrigation, and caring for a community garden. Along the way, she has strengthened her communication and teamwork skills.

“I used to always be nervous about speaking up about my ideas but with this project I was able to fully share my thoughts and ideas,” she said.

The experience has helped Rosy see how concepts learned in her plant science courses translate into real-world agricultural decisions.

“This opportunity helped me connect what I have learned in the classroom to real-world situations by allowing me to apply concepts like crop spacing, crop rotation, soil health, irrigation, and plant care into an actual community garden,” she said.

The difference, she explained, was having to make decisions in an environment where there was no single answer automatically provided for her.

“I had to make decisions based on the available space rather than just learning information off of an assignment or lecture,” Rosy said.

Terry’s description of the project underscores that distinction. Crop planning requires students to consider the timing of production, available space, crop compatibility and strategies for managing pests and disease—not simply understand those concepts in theory.

For Rosy, being trusted with those decisions became an important part of her development.

“This project has influenced my confidence in expressing my thoughts and making decisions for myself,” she said. “I was given the freedom to make choices of crop planning and instead of relying on someone else, I was able to trust my knowledge and speak up about my ideas.”

The experience also changed how she thinks about mistakes.

“This experience taught me that it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them and now I feel more comfortable taking initiative and trusting myself with larger projects,” she said.

Rosy’s interest in plants began as a childhood hobby. At Rutgers, it has developed into a potential career path.

Rosy pictured with a bounty of chard, grown and freshly harvested from the Rutgers Gardens Student Farm fields.

She began volunteering at Rutgers Gardens during her first month of college. Wanting to gain more than volunteer experience, she went on to complete an agricultural internship and now works as a Rutgers Gardens Student Farmer while pursuing a field she is passionate about. Her work has direct impact on the community, as much of the produce grown by the Student Farm at Rutgers Gardens and Healthy Harvest benefits individuals and families at risk for, or experiencing, food insecurity. One way this is taking shape is through a new expansion of the Rutgers Community Farmers Market. Funded through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) Food Equity and Economic Development (FEED NJ) initiative, a new mobile farmers market van will take the market on the road, bringing fresh produce to communities throughout New Brunswick. Rosy’s garden plans, and much of the hands-on work she’s completed this summer, lay the groundwork for this exciting endeavor.

As she continues her plant science studies, Rosy is looking toward obtaining her pesticide applicator’s license and further developing her expertise in horticulture and agriculture. Helping to bring her project to fruition is philanthropic support for student scholarships and experiential learning opportunities at SEBS through the Experiential Connections & Engaged Learning (ExCEL) Lab, including private donations and the New Jersey Committee of the Garden Club of America’s Millicent Mercer Johnsen Scholarship, of which Rosy is a 2026 recipient for her project. Her experience at Healthy Harvest has given her more than technical knowledge. It has helped her connect classroom learning with hands-on practice, contribute to a community that is part of her own story, and gain confidence in her ability to make decisions.

At the community garden, Rosy is not only learning how to grow plants. She is also learning how to grow into her future as an agricultural professional.

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Melissa Bright, 4-H agent in Somerset County and past chair of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals Animal Science Working Group, coordinated the National 4-H Animal Science Career Night focused on veterinary science. Featured speakers Hannah Neill, clinical instructor of Large Animal Field Service at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University, and Michelle D’Alessandro of Belle Mead Animal Hospital in Hillsborough, New Jersey, shared their educational journeys, professional experiences, and perspectives on working with companion animals and livestock. They also answered questions from youth considering careers in veterinary medicine.

Participant evaluations highlighted the program’s impact. After the event, more than 80% of respondents reported knowing “a lot” or “a great deal” about veterinary science careers, compared with 12.5% before the program. Additionally, 75% said they had learned about a veterinary career they had not previously considered, while 37.5% expressed strong interest in pursuing a career in veterinary science.

By connecting youth directly with practicing professionals, the program expanded awareness of career possibilities and helped participants better understand the educational pathways and opportunities available in veterinary medicine. The National 4-H Animal Science Career Night series continues to create valuable connections between young people and professionals, encouraging exploration of future careers in animal science and agriculture.

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Ximing Guo (right) and Sam Ratcliff examined selective bred oysters at Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory. Photo credit: Micah Seidel.

New varieties of oysters that have become an important part of the global aquaculture industry have earned Rutgers researcher Ximing Guo a 2026 Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey (RDNJ). Guo’s invention is one of two Rutgers innovations recognized this year with the state’s highest honor for inventors and innovation.

Guo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, received the Aquaculture Award for his patent, Molluscan Shellfish Produced by Controlled Crossbreeding (U.S. Patent No. 11,266,131). Conducting research at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Guo has developed new oyster varieties for aquaculture in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States with improved disease resistance, growth, and genetic diversity. The resulting oysters are more uniform, faster growing, healthier, and better suited to commercial production.

Distinguished Professor Ximing Guo.

“It is deeply rewarding to see the breeding technologies developed at Rutgers contributing to oyster farming across the U.S. and around the world,” said Guo. “Oysters are remarkable organisms, valued not only as a premium seafood but also for the essential ecological services they provide. They face many diseases, and disease resistance is the single most important trait for oyster aquaculture and is critical for the restoration of natural populations devastated by disease. I remain grateful to the many students and colleagues whose dedication and expertise have shaped our breeding program over the years.”

Guo’s patented breeding technology has helped advance oyster farming both in the United States and internationally by addressing disease resistance, one of the industry’s greatest challenges, while improving productivity and supporting the restoration of natural oyster populations.

Also receiving a 2026 Edison Patent Award is a Rutgers School of Engineering research team for developing structural plastic lumber made from recycled plastics, including milk containers, coffee cups, and plastic bottles. The durable material has been used to manufacture approximately 1.5 million railway ties in the United States, diverting an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic from landfills and oceans.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that two Rutgers research teams have received Edison Patent Awards. The Rutgers researchers will be honored alongside this year’s other recipients during the RDNJ awards ceremony and banquet in November.

Now in its 47th year, the Edison Patent Awards recognize outstanding patented innovations developed in New Jersey across 12 categories. Named for Thomas Edison, the awards celebrate research that demonstrates significant scientific achievement, originality, commercial impact, and societal benefit.

R&D Council board members selected the winners after evaluating nominated patents for the significance of the problem addressed, utility and socioeconomic value, novelty, and commercial impact. At least part of the scientific or technical work supporting each winning patent must have been completed in New Jersey.

The Rutgers Office for Research supported both award-winning teams through its Technology Transfer unit, assisting with patent protection, licensing, and nominations for the 2026 Edison Patent Awards. To learn more about the Rutgers technology transfer process, visit innovate.rutgers.edu.

Read the full story about both Rutgers inventions on the Rutgers Office for Research website.

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James Murphy, director of the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science and extension specialist in the Department of Plant Biology, addresses attendees on Day 2 of the 2026 Rutgers Turf Field Days. Photo: Shaun Barry.

Turf professionals from across the United States and abroad gathered this summer for the 2026 Rutgers Turfgrass Research Field Days, where they explored the latest advances in turfgrass science and management while engaging directly with Rutgers researchers, faculty, staff, and students.

The annual educational outreach events highlighted cutting-edge research and practical solutions for golf courses, sports fields, lawns, and landscapes, reinforcing Rutgers’ longstanding leadership in turfgrass research and extension.

Attendees at NJAES Hort Farm No. 2 during the 2026 Rutgers Turf Field Days. Photo: Shaun Barry.

The Golf and Fine Turf Field Day, held July 28 at Rutgers NJAES Hort Farm No. 2 in North Brunswick, welcomed 249 attendees, along with 35 volunteers and 74 Rutgers faculty, staff, and students. The following day, the Lawn, Landscape, and Sports Turf Field Day drew 248 attendees, 31 volunteers, and 47 Rutgers personnel to the Rutgers NJAES Plant Science Research and Extension Farm near Adelphia. That evening, members of the Cultivated Sod Association toured the Adelphia research plots before holding their summer business meeting at the farm.

Participants traveled from New Jersey, 20 other states, and three countries—Canada, Ireland, and Spain—to learn about the latest Rutgers research and discuss emerging challenges facing the turfgrass industry.

Hosted by the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science, the field day tours featured research on technologies for remotely sensing and assessing turfgrass health and persistence, breeding improved varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, bentgrasses, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues, and developing best management practices for turf diseases, weeds, insects, and abiotic stress tolerance.

Stacy Bonos presents the New Jersey Turfgrass Association Recognition Award to George Ziemienski, supervisor of the Adelphia research farm. Photo: Shaun Barry.

A highlight of the Adelphia event was the presentation of the New Jersey Turfgrass Association Recognition Award to George Ziemienski, supervisor of the Adelphia research farm.

The award recognizes his many years of dedicated service to the turfgrass industry and his commitment to sharing his expertise with researchers, students, and industry professionals. Stacy Bonos, associate director of the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science and professor in the Department of Plant Biology, presented the award during the luncheon following the field day program.

The success of both field days reflected a collaborative effort among Rutgers faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and industry partners. Organizers expressed their appreciation to the New Jersey Turfgrass Association and the Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey for their continued partnership in coordinating the events, as well as to the many volunteers, industry professionals, and Rutgers personnel whose support helped make the field days a valuable educational experience for the turfgrass community.

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This Pathfinders session was an agricultural biosecurity activity led by Anna Kimtis, program specialist trainee with the Department of Agriculture (standing at the front of the room). Session presenters also included Dr. Shipra Mohan, director of the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (standing, at left), and Dr. Kristofer Smith, veterinarian with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (not pictured).

Twenty-two middle school students from the Trenton area concluded five weeks of discovery, innovation, and hands-on learning by showcasing their summer projects during the closing celebration of the sixth annual Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy.

Held from July 13 through August 13 at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, the academy immersed youth in weekly explorations of public health, cybersecurity, engineering, robotics, and agriculture while introducing them to the people, places, and possibilities that make up New Jersey’s STEM community. The program was led by Yaa Owusu-Mensah, 4-H program associate.

Alanna Weekes-Jackson discusses her experiences in the Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy during the program’s closing showcase on August 13.

The final showcase featured student presentations highlighting projects completed throughout the summer and the skills they developed along the way. Among those attending was Dr. Francine Conway, chancellor of Rutgers–New Brunswick, who met with participants and learned firsthand about their experiences and aspirations.

More than a summer enrichment program, STEM Pathfinders is designed to help young people envision themselves in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. By combining hands-on learning with mentorship and real-world experiences, the program helps middle school students build confidence, strengthen problem-solving skills, and develop a lasting interest in STEM fields during a pivotal stage of their education.

Throughout the academy, participants worked alongside Rutgers faculty and staff, 4-H volunteers and teen mentors, and collaborators from industry, government agencies, and partner universities. These interactions allowed students to engage directly with STEM professionals while exploring how classroom concepts translate into real-world careers.

Pathfinders help monitor water quality and the overall health of a stream at The Watershed Institute in Pennington by using keys to identify the types and variety of aquatic organisms they found in a sample of water.

Field experiences have long been a hallmark of the program. Over the years, participants have visited the New Jersey Department of Health’s Public Health and Environmental Laboratories, New Jersey’s Regional Operations Intelligence Center, The Watershed Institute, and research laboratories at Rutgers University, Princeton University, and The College of New Jersey. These experiences provide students with opportunities to explore advanced research environments and connect with professionals whose work addresses challenges in health, technology, environmental science, and engineering.

Established in 2021, the STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy serves as the critical middle school link in Mercer County 4-H’s STEM education pipeline. It bridges two longstanding programs: Tomorrow’s Innovators Science Saturday, launched in 2013 through a collaboration between Rutgers 4-H and Bristol Myers Squibb volunteers, and the Rutgers 4-H STEM Ambassadors program for high school students, established in 2009.

The impact of this continuum is already evident. Several students who have progressed through all three programs credit their 4-H experiences with helping them identify future academic interests and career pathways, demonstrating how sustained engagement and mentoring can shape educational and professional aspirations.

The Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy is supported through the Mercer County Extension budget and Intern Program and the Mercer County One-Stop Career Center, which provide funding for transportation, intern stipends, and STEM instructional materials. Additional technology support is provided through the Apple Community Education Initiative.

By connecting young learners with mentors, meaningful experiences, and a supportive community of educators and STEM professionals, the Rutgers 4-H STEM Pathfinders Summer Academy continues to cultivate the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders.

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Janelle S., Junior Champion (Atlantic County 4-H), wearing the NJ 4-H Egg Champion crown!

First statewide competition helps young people develop egg grading skills while exploring careers in agriculture

Following New Jersey’s strong showing at the 2025 National 4-H Avian Bowl, youth participating in the 4-H Youth Development Program, part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, are finding new opportunities to build knowledge and leadership in poultry science.

In the spring, the Department of 4-H Youth Development at Rutgers partnered with the Atlantic County 4-H Livestock and Poultry Club to launch the inaugural New Jersey 4-H Golden Egg Contest, introducing young people to the science behind commercial egg production and the rigorous standards used to evaluate eggs in today’s marketplace.

Open to registered New Jersey 4-H members, the contest challenged participants to produce, select and present a uniform half-dozen market eggs that met industry expectations for quality and consistency. Entries were judged using official USDA egg grading standards and the National 4-H Poultry Judging Manual—the same principles used throughout the commercial egg industry.

Suzanna Vaino, Atlantic County 4-H poultry project leader and co-developer of the contest.

“The contest gives youth an opportunity to look beyond simply raising chickens,” said Suzanna Vaino, Atlantic County 4-H poultry project leader and co-developer of the contest. “They learn how eggs are evaluated for quality, gain valuable judging skills and begin to understand the many career opportunities available within the poultry industry.”

Vaino developed the competition with Amelia Valente, 4-H agent of Monmouth County. The contest was modeled after successful 4-H egg judging competitions in states with established commercial egg industries, including Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.

To help prepare participants, Vaino led a six-session Short-Term Exploratory Program (STEP) conducted virtually throughout the spring. The sessions introduced youth to commercial egg production, USDA egg grading standards, poultry judging, oral reasons and career pathways in the egg industry.

The educational series featured guest speakers from the USDA Livestock and Poultry Program, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the University of Missouri Extension 4-H Youth Development Program. Grace Kreft, an Ocean County 4-H alumna and Rutgers Animal Science graduate, also spoke about opportunities available through Rutgers’ Animal Science bachelor’s degree program.

The inaugural contest attracted 19 youth from nine New Jersey counties, who submitted 42 entries. Six RCE county offices served as collection sites before entries were transported to Atlantic County for judging.

Zoe-Bella C., Junior Honorable Mention (Essex County 4-H).

To ensure fairness, entries were evaluated anonymously by participant number and age division—Cloverbud, Junior and Senior. Judges assessed egg size, shell quality, shell thickness, shape, air cell size, albumen quality and other characteristics that determine market quality, including Haugh Units, the industry standard for measuring egg protein quality.

Top honors were awarded to:

Senior Champion: Megan C., Cape May County

Senior Reserve Champion: Danika C., Cape May County

Senior Honorable Mention: Joel S., Atlantic County

Junior Champion: Janelle S., Atlantic County

Junior Reserve Champion: Ethan G., Cape May County

Junior Honorable Mention: Zoe-Bella C., Essex County

The tools of the egg-grading contest, conveying the rigor of the competition.

The contest also highlighted the collaborative nature of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, with six county offices assisting in collecting entries from participants across the state.

Vaino credited the success of the inaugural event to the many volunteers, educators and partners who supported the effort, including Erin Sharpe, co-leader of the Atlantic County 4-H Livestock and Poultry Club, and Micky Hall, professor emeritus and small poultry flock specialist with Clemson University 4-H Youth Development, whose guidance helped shape the competition.

Organizers are already planning to expand the contest in spring 2027 with new challenges for returning participants.

Meanwhile, New Jersey 4-H’s momentum in poultry science continues. Members of the newly formed Senior New Jersey 4-H Poultry Judging Team will attend Poultry Judging Camp this summer at the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University before representing the state at the National 4-H Poultry Judging Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, this fall.

For more information about the New Jersey 4-H Golden Egg Contest or New Jersey 4-H poultry projects, contact Suzanna Vaino at Starla4270@hotmail.com or Amelia Valente at amelia.valente@rutgers.edu.

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Announcement by Dr. Josh Kohut, SEBS Dean of Research and NJAES Director of Research.

Dr. James Simon, Distonuished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology. Photo: Nick Romanenko

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jim Simon, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Biology, has been appointed Faculty Director of SEBS/NJAES Core Facilities, effective July 1.

In this role, Dr. Simon will provide strategic oversight and coordination across our shared core facility’s research infrastructure, working closely with each facility’s scientific directors to strengthen and expand the core facilities as a shared resource for the school and university. Under his leadership, SEBS/NJAES aims to position its core facilities as a central hub for scientific and research innovation, connecting faculty, students, and industry partners with the advanced instrumentation and expertise needed to advance research and extension across the school and beyond.

Dr. Simon, who was recently elected to the National Academy of Inventors, brings decades of experience leading large, multi-institutional research programs. His appointment reflects SEBS’s and NJAES’ continued investment in our research infrastructure, partnerships and team building, and training opportunities that support faculty, students and increase public trust in science.

Please join me in welcoming Jim to this new role!

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