New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program

Next Generation Farmer Program efforts so far include:

The Next Gen team is conducting ongoing outreach to the agricultural community to get stakeholder feedback and help guide the development of the program. This includes connecting with new and beginning farmers from all backgrounds, established farmers, agricultural service providers, government entities, non-profits, and others involved in New Jersey agriculture.
- Please reach out to share your thoughts. You could complete a survey, attend a focus group, or contact us to discuss your ideas.
Dozens of farmers, service providers, government officials, and others have provided input so far, with additional feedback being gathered every week through in-person and remote interviews as well as surveys, focus groups, and meetings.
The program is also researching beginning farmer programs from across the country to identify successful models that could be adapted to New Jersey.

Collaboration

The Next Gen team has been meeting and building relationships with agricultural service provider organizations around the State, including partners that are already working on new and beginning farmer issues. Supporting and enhancing existing efforts is a program goal, as is helping to foster a coordinated, collaborative network of support organizations.
The program has connected or is planning to connect with Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ), Foodshed Alliance, North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development (North Jersey RC&D), New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative (NJFDC), USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the State Board of Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau, County Boards of Agriculture, County Agriculture Development Boards (CADBs), and others.
Several collaborative events have already been developed, and the program will continue to work closely with partners to maximize the impact of their efforts.
The Next Gen Program has been working closely with the Rutgers Beginner Farmer Training Program by providing educational lectures to students, attending Q&A sessions, speaking at program events, and partnering to develop further education and outreach.

NJ Land Link
- The Next Gen Program has cleaned up all the postings on NJ Land Link.
- All NJ Land Link postings have been verified as current and active. Any outdated farmland and farmer postings have been archived.
Training / Direct Assistance
- The Next Gen team, as part of the American Farmland Trust (AFT) Land Transfer Navigator Program, is attending trainings to help develop succession planning tools and strategies to help retiring farmers protect the legacy of their farmland and farm business, allow them to retire with financial security, and provide next generation farmers with access to land and other support.
- The Next Gen team has also completed the Farm Commons “Guiding Resilience” workshop series, empowering them to provide guidance and support to farmers who are seeking to reduce legal risk in their business.