GOVERNOR SUBMITS BUDGET FOR FY99 The Governor's FY99 recommended budget for the department shows a recommended operating budget of $8,592,000, compared to $9,080,000 for FY98, and a recommended grants-in-aid appropriation of $2,354,000, compared to $1,543,000 in FY98. In addition, the Governor has recommended $156,000 in capital construction appropriations to upgrade the heating and cooling, humidity and air circulation controls at the beneficial insect laboratory. Combined with $7,004,000 in state aid funding to match federal dollars available for the department's child nutrition program, the proposed FY99 budget for the department totals $18,106,000.

The recommended grants-in-aid budget includes a new $2 million cost- share program for technical and financial assistance to farmers for development and implementation of non-point source pollution controls. The program complements the state's participation in the federal Environmental Quality Improvement Program. It also includes $150,000 for the Jersey Fresh matching grants program, $180,000 for the New Jersey Agricultural Museum and $24,000 for farm management training efforts.

SURVEY INFORMATION STILL SOUGHT The New Jersey Agricultural Statistics Service (NJASS) is still accepting information for the 1997 National Census of Agriculture. In addition, the equine survey and the deer damage survey being done by NJASS are still open. Compliance with these important surveys is critical to future policy and program decisions at both the state and national levels.

GARDNER FARM EASEMENT DONATION COMMEMORATED; PRESERVED FARM AUCTIONS SCHEDULED Gael and Fred Gardner donated the development easement on their 47-acre horse, sheep and hay farm in Ringoes to the State Agriculture Development Committee recently. This month a ceremony was held on site to thank them for their generous gesture. Senator Schluter, Assemblyman Lance and Assemblywoman Meyer, as well as several freeholders and representatives of the Hunterdon County CADB attended the event and joined us in offering their gratitude for the Gardner's donation to the Farmland Preservation Program. The easement is worth an estimated $350,000.

Three preserved farms acquired by the SADC will be sold to private owners at public auction in March and April. The properties include the former Uhland farm in Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, which will be sold as two farms of 175 and 137 acres; the Smylie/Gottlieb property in North Hanover Township, Burlington County, which will be sold as one 75.6 acre farm; and Riverwalk Farm in Pohatcong Township, Warren County, which will be sold as two farms of 232 and 201 acres. In the case of Riverwalk Farm, the remaining 128 acres of the 560-acre property will be acquired by the Phillipsburg Riverview Organization in cooperation with NJDEP and preserved and managed as grassland bird habitat.

PREMIUM PRICE SET FOR CLASS 1 MILK PRODUCED IN NEW JERSEY A new rule adopted by the department in December established a six- month emergency minimum price for Class 1 milk produced by New Jersey dairy farmers. As required by the rule, the department has set the New Jersey Class 1 premium for January at 90 cents per hundredweight of milk. This reflects the difference between the new state Class 1 minimum of $16.89 per hundredweight and the federal Class 1 minimum set for federal orders 2 and 4. This difference multiplied by statewide Class 1 utilization yields the producer premium for all New Jersey dairy farmers covered by this program.

Since the average statewide Class 1 utilization was 61.82 percent for the month, the producer premium was 55 cents per hundredweight. Preliminary figures received earlier in the month had suggested that a somewhat higher producer premium might be declared but the higher premium was not supported by final Class 1 utilization data.

WORK CONTINUES ON PROPOSED CANADIAN REGULATIONS GOVERNING BLUEBERRY SHIPMENTS A summary of the proposed changes in exporting fresh blueberries to Canada was presented at the annual Vegetable Growers Association meeting in Atlantic City last month. It appears that existing requirements will continue through the 1998 shipping season. However, Canada will probably require growers to participate in an IPM program for blueberry maggot if they want to ship berries from blueberry maggot- infested states to uninfected areas in Canada in the future.

American blueberry growers fear that regulations proposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will prevent or reduce the sale of their blueberries in Canada. New Jersey producers are so concerned about the proposed regulations that the department facilitated a conference call this month to Narcy Klag, the USDA representative involved in the negotiations, so that he could hear their concerns directly. Included in the call were representatives from the department, the North American Blueberry Council, Tru Blu Blueberry Cooperative, Atlantic Blueberry Co., the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council, Rutgers IPM, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, MGB Marketing and a Michigan blueberry grower. Klag agreed to make Canadian officials aware of the group's concerns.

COOPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PEST SURVEY PROGRAM CHECKS FOR GOLDEN NEMATODE Soil samples collected from 10 potato fields in Burlington, Monmouth and Hunterdon Counties were examined for golden nematode as part of USDA/APHIS/PPQ's Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey for golden nematode, with no pests detected in the samples. This is the final year of a three year survey. Data gathered in this project will be used to support export certification of international shipments of USA-grown produce and nursery stock.

NEW MARKETS SOUGHT FOR CLAM BY-PRODUCTS Food processors making clam chowders and other clam-based sauces are the focus of a test-marketing effort for a filtrate produced from clam processing wastewater. Because of the production technology, the filtrate has low levels of grit and less salt than conventionally produced clam juices, offering a sweeter flavor. Markets are also being developed among stuffed clam producers for clam shells produced in hand-shucking establishments. Currently, most clams are machine shucked which crushes the shell.

FISH, SEAFOOD PROMOTIONS UNDER WAY With matching funds from the Jersey Fresh program, the New Jersey Seafood Coalition has begun a radio advertising campaign to coincide with Lent, one of the best marketing periods for fish and seafood products. The radio spots invite consumers to call the toll-free seafood number and receive a free copy of the seafood cookbooklet which proved so popular last year. The ads will be broadcast mainly in northeastern New Jersey and New York City. To reinforce the ads and focus on Jersey Shore seafood, posters have been supplied to 300 retailers in the state.

ANNUAL HONEY SHOW HELD Assistant Secretary Garrison and Assembly Speaker Jack Collins did the honors at the annual honey show, including presentation of the best of show award to Wolfgang Kuehn of Jackson, who also took the honor last year. Collins also presented the Beekeepers Association with a joint resolution in support of the state's apiarists.