Farming and Agriculture
Farmland is a key economic and environmental resource for New Jersey, ranking third in importance to the state’s economy behind pharmaceuticals and tourism. A strong farm economy not only supports employment, commerce and agriculturally related tourism, but also strengthens the state’s local food system, helping to ensure access to healthy food for all residents.
In 2007, more than 80 percent of New Jersey’s farmland was in crop production, supplying apples, blueberries, cranberries, peaches, strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, hay and soybeans, with a market value of nearly $850 million. Livestock production represented another $138 million in market value.
Growth in New Jersey, however, has put the state’s farm economy at risk. From 1982 to 2007, New Jersey lost approximately 27 percent of its agricultural land to development. This trend has slowed recently, cutting in half the rate of loss, from more than 6 percent between 1997 and 2002 to less than 3 percent between 2002 and 2007.
Smart growth supports the preservation of farmland by directing development away from agricultural land and preserving that land for farm use. A range of mechanisms at both the state and local levels – including low-density residential and agricultural zoning, preservation easements, transfers and purchases of development rights, cluster development, development buffers, right-to-farm legislation, permitting farm stands by right and favorable tax policies for agricultural production — have been used to prioritize the preservation of agricultural land.
A bill to extend some development permit deadlines also threatens open space, and runs counter to the principles in Gov. Christie’s new State Strategic Plan.
How the NJDEP goes about implementing its own new vision will say much about how the Christie administration intends to fulfill the mission of the new State Strategic Plan.
Gov. Chris Christie today released a new State Strategic Plan, a blueprint for state investment in sustainable economic growth. The governor also announced Executive Order No. 78, authorizing a cabinet-level steering committee to drive implementation. The State Strategic Plan is intended to meet both the spirit and the statutory requirements of the State Planning Act.
New Jersey residents are unhappy about recent growth patterns, saying they have made the state expensive and difficult to travel. They support coordinated planning to protect natural resources, foster walkable communities and enhance transportation options.
New Jersey Future released its comments on the Draft 2011 Energy Master Plan, with a mixed review on transportation, commitment to the green economy and solar siting.
Some frequently-asked questions about how smart growth would affect New Jersey’s future development, including how it affects traffic, taxes, and land preservation.
Trransfer of development rights (TDR) and clustering are tools that municipalities in New Jersey can use to direct growth and preserve open space.
January 20, 2012 — Press coverage of S3156, the recently signed law to change New Jersey’s water quality rule, has been dominated by two opposing positions. The building community has insisted that the existing rule be scaled back and delayed to allow more opportunities for development projects on open lands in order to create jobs and jump-start the economy. Environmentalists, meanwhile, have focused on the bill’s adverse impact on the state’s drinking water supplies.
Be it through open space and farmland preservation, economic development, or civic design initiatives, the Township of Eastampton is consistent in its pursuit of a smart growth.
2011 Smart Growth Awards: The Duke Farms Foundation is transforming it into a regional center for environmental stewardship, offering greater public access and educational programs with a focus on sustainability and the responsible management of land resources.
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