New Jersey Farmer

Warren County celebrates year in ag


By RICHARD SKELLY AFP Correspondent WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Warren County — A diversified crowd of about a hundred livestock, hay and straw, dairy and vegetable-fruit farmers from around Warren County gathered at the Draught House here in January for the annual meeting of the county Board of Agriculture. Honorees included longtime, born-and-raised county farmers Erich and Anna Sodtalbers. Warren County Board […]

Farm’s next generations weigh future at event


By JANE PRIMERANO AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — As the average age of working farmers creeps up toward the average age at which most people have long since traded their work tools for golf clubs or fishing rods, some farmers (or their families) are thinking about succession planning. Britt Long, an attorney specializing in farm law, estate planning and administration, […]

NRCS, NJDA reps meet with NOFA participants


By JANE PRIMERANO AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — Representatives of the NRCS and NJDA met with farmers at the NOFA-NJ Winter Conference in New Brunswick on Saturday, Jan. 27, to provide information on how both agencies can help with the sometimes complicated problems of small farms. Sandra Howland of the Department of Agriculture animal waste management office discussed an online […]

Conference puts focus on mental well-being


By JANE PRIMERANO AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — Farmers don’t complain much. Not about weather, prices, recalcitrant critters; only occasionally about clueless neighbors and voracious deer. While that’s seen as a positive trait, it also means farmers aren’t always good at communicating or taking care of themselves which can cause them to miss out on an opportunity to take care […]

Brinton explains ‘harvesting sunlight’ to attendees


By RICHARD SKELLY AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — Will Brinton, founder of the Woods End Soil Lab near Augusta, Maine, presented the keynote address at the 34th annual winter conference of organic farmers in New Jersey, NOFA-NJ. Brinton has a strong Rutgers connection as earlier in his career he worked with Nobel Laureate Dr. Albert Schatz who worked with Saul […]

Indigenous cultivators lauded as essential


By JANE PRIMERANO AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — Lyla June Johnston is hoping to revitalize Indigenous food systems around the United States. The graduate student at Stanford University is studying both human ecology and indigenous pedagogy and combines her studies with the traditional worldview she grew up with as a member of the Dinè and Cheyenne nations. She presents around […]

Military vet transitions to farming in Morris Co.


By RICHARD McDONOUGH AFP Correspondent CHESTER — Ashley O’Keefe is a military veteran who served in the United States Navy for 15 years. She’s a 2009 graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. A number of her deployments were ten to eleven months in duration, with many in the Middle East Theater. Among ships O’Keefe served on […]

NOFA-NJ: Opportunities in value-added production


By RICHARD SKELLY AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — A discussion moderated by Mercer County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agent and Food Safety Specialist Meredith Melendez brought about interesting ideas smaller farmers can incorporate into their operations to boost profits through value-added goods and cottage food production. Speakers included Lindsay Napolitano of Fields Without Fences in Stockton, N.J. and Melanie and Stan […]

Maple syrup shows promise for South Jersey operations


By JANE PRIMERANO AFP Correspondent NEW BRUNSWICK — One doesn’t need to be in New Hampshire to tap maples. North Jersey has a few farms producing syrup from their maple trees, but South Jersey has potential too. Judith Vogel, a math professor at Stockton University in Galloway, taps trees with her husband on their hobby farm. She also advocates for […]

We need to learn from history (Editorial)

The January edition of the USDA’s biannual cattle inventory report shows the nation’s cattle herd at 87.2 million head, down about 2 percent from last year, making it the lowest herd size in 73 years. That’s going to result in a high beef market in the second half of this year, analysts say. If realized, the bullish outlook would create […]


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