New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William T. Hlubik is available for interviews on environmentally friendly lawn and landscape care, sustainable gardening and agriculture, home and commercial vegetable and small fruit production, and how to start a small farm.
“I focus on proper management techniques to reduce and often eliminate the use of pesticides in most landscape situations,” said Hlubik, agriculture and natural resources county agent and director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, which is part of Rutgers’ New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. “Proper plant selection and placement in the landscape along with soil testing and management of drainage can help grow healthy plants with fewer problems.”
Hlubik, director of the Middlesex County EARTH Center in South Brunswick, New Jersey, has given lectures to master gardeners, organic land care professionals and many other groups throughout New Jersey for more than 25 years. He teaches classes in Sustainable Agriculture and Starting a Small Farm as well as RU Ready 2 Farm classes. His key area of expertise is in commercial and home vegetable and small fruit production and management. He and a Rutgers team developed new varieties of strawberries, including the Rutgers Scarlet strawberry, which is now in 48 states and four Canadian provinces. He has also done research on controlling pest and disease problems on vegetables while reducing pesticide use.
“Our team is helping to prepare the next generation of farmers as the average age of farmers in New Jersey is 59 years old,” Hlubik said. “We need a next generation of farmers to produce our food and fiber to secure a local source of food. We can’t afford to lose the incredible value of our family farmers throughout our area. I am seeing greater interest in gardening and farming with people of all ages and background, and anyone can get started producing their own food. Gardening allows us to grow fascinating varieties of vegetables and fruits that we really enjoy. It also helps us appreciate the hard work of our local farmers and provides a great sense of satisfaction.”
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Broadcast interviews: Rutgers University has broadcast-quality TV and radio studios available for remote live or taped interviews with Rutgers experts. For more information, contact Neal Buccino at [email protected]
ABOUT RUTGERS—NEW BRUNSWICK
Rutgers University–New Brunswick is where Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago. Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It has an internationally acclaimed faculty, 12 degree-granting schools and the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse student body.
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