 Rutgers Cooperative Extension NORTH JERSEY COMMERCIAL
FRUIT GROWERS MEETING
March 4, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Bldg. 1
Flemington, NJ
Program
Program Chair
Megan Muehlbauer, PhD
Agriculture and Resource Management Agent
Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County
8:30 – Registration
Continental breakfast compliments of industry sponsors
8:50 – Welcome and Introductions
9:00 – NJDEP’s Pesticide Safety and Regulations
Spencer Kerkhof, Environmental Specialist Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement NJDEP
10:00 – Ambrosia Beetles: How to Manage Them in Tree Fruit Orchards
Monique Rivera PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell AgriTech
11:00 – Mycorrhizal Fungi Applications and their Effect on Soil Biology and Tree Health
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, Hunterdon County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
11:30 – Update on Farm Service Programs
Laura LaFevre, County Executive Director, Hunterdon / Somerset Office, Farm Service Agency
11:45 – Jersey Fresh Marketing Update
Joe Atchison III, Assistant Secretary, NJ Dept. of Agriculture
Christine Fries, Coordinator of Agricultural Marketing, NJ Dept. of Agriculture
12:00 – LUNCHEON (pre-registration required)
12:50 – What is New from Industry
1:00 – Peach Variety Updates
Hemant Gohil PhD, Gloucester County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
1:30 – Management Strategies for Scale in Tree Fruit
Anne Nielsen PhD, Extension Specialist in Entomology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
2:00 – Season Summary and Updates from the Tree Fruit IPM Program
Janine Spies PhD, Agricultural Agent in Fruit IPM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
3:00 – The Bitter Reality of Bitter Rot in NJ
Kaitlin Quinn North Jersey Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
3:30 – Disease management strategies in apple and peach orchards
Nancy Sharma PhD, Specialist in Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
4:00 – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn. Attendees must be present for the entire program in order to apply for NJDEP credits.
THE FOLLOWING NJDEP PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS WILL BE AWARDED
4 CAT-10 4 CAT-1A 2 CORE 4 PP2
North Jersey Fruit Meeting Registration 2026 then fax or email to:
Fax: (908) 806-4735
E-mail: kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us
PRE-REGISTRATION BY February 26, 2026 REQUIRED FOR LUNCH
If you have any questions please call Kim Crommelin: (908)-788-1338
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