The
State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC)
today sold five preserved farms totaling 814 acres
in Gloucester and Salem counties, in the largest
public auction of farmland in the history of the
Farmland Preservation Program. The SADC had purchased
the farmland -- nearly all of it in Gloucester
County -- as one property from Sunnydale and Gracemark
Partners through its fee simple program. That purchase,
completed in January, totaled $4.4 million, with
Gloucester County contributing $750,000 of the
cost. The SADC divided the property into six farms,
added deed restrictions to permanently preserve
them for agriculture and resold five of the six
farms today to the highest bidders. The sixth farm,
which drew no bids, will be reoffered for sale
at a later date. Altogether, the five farms sold
for $1,375,000, which will be returned to the Farmland
Preservation Program and used to preserve other
New Jersey farms. The farms are located in Elk
and Franklin townships, Gloucester County, and
Upper Pittsgrove Township, Salem County. The proud
new owners are:
- Brian
and Bridget Dean of Monroeville, who emerged
as the high bidders on two farms in Elk Township
B 95 acres on the south side of Whig Lane at
its intersection with Elmer-Barnsboro Road,
which sold for $135,000, and 239 acres located
on both sides of Railroad Avenue and the south
side of Whig Lane, which sold for $290,000.
The couple, the owners of Dean's Evergreens,
plan to use the farms to expand their nursery
operations.
Leigh
Weiss of Glassboro, who purchased 129 acres
on the west side of Elmer-Barnsboro Road (County
Route 609), just south of Ewan-Aura Road, in
Elk Township. The purchase price was $235,000.
Carl
H. Burd, Jr., of Long Valley, who offered $420,000
to buy 154 acres in Elk Township, located on
the north side of Whig Lane and County Route
619.
- John
C. Ackerman, Jr., of Monroeville, who purchased
197 acres on the north side of Monroeville
Road (CR 604), at the boundary line of Gloucester
and Salem counties. The purchase price for
the property -- most of which is located in
Elk Township -- was $295,000.
Under
the fee simple program, the SADC purchases farms
outright from willing sellers, deed restricts
them to ensure that they are permanently preserved
for agriculture, and resells them at auction
to the highest bidders.
The
State Agriculture Development Committee administers
the Farmland Preservation Program. To date, 418
farms totaling 62,210 acres have been permanently
protected through the Farmland Preservation Program,
with an additional 14,862 acres approved for
preservation. |