title

New Jersey Farm Bureau News

Ag Matters Online

As the September deadline for the renewal of the Federal Farm Bill draws nearer, farmers at the local and commercial levels are speaking out against what they call burdensome regulations and looking to the future of the nation’s oldest industry.

On Friday, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., and Assemblyman Parker Space, R-24th Dist., stepped across the political aisle to attend a roundtable discussion for growers, producers and purveyors of agro-tourism ventures from around the area.

 

Click here for the full story from the NJ Herald.

TRENTON (March 1, 2018) — The Young Farmers and Ranchers committee of the New Jersey Farm Bureau held their first meeting of the new year at “The Farmhouse” — offices of the New Jersey Farm Bureau — on West State Street, directly across the street from the New Jersey State House.

After brief remarks from Farm Bureau President Ryck Suydam, the gathering of about 20 young farmers between 18 and 35 years old was treated to anecdotes and jokes from Al Murray, who helped usher the “Jersey Fresh” marketing campaign to national prominence under former Ag Secretary Arthur Brown.

Murray now is the director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society.

Click here for to read the complete story from American Farm Publications.

TRENTON — A healthy dose of skepticism was evident Tuesday at the Trenton War Memorial at a standing-room-only educational seminar for local and state officials on marijuana legalization.

There was nearly as much concern as enthusiasm about the prospect of allowing adults to use marijuana for recreational purposes, not just medical ones.

Click here to read the rest of the story from NJ 101.5

Foes of legal pot offer a compromise

20 Feb 2018, Posted by admin in News, State News

Frustrated by the focus on legalizing recreational marijuana in New Jersey, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of pot by treating it like a traffic offense in the state.

The bill, introduced Thursday, would allow a person caught with less than 10 grams of cannabis to face a fine of $100 the first time, $200 for the second offense and $500 for future violations. Offenders now are subject to six months in jail, a $500 fine, or both.

Click here to read the rest of this story from the Star Ledger.

The New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife will host a symposium on ‘Managing Deer in Suburban and Agricultural Landscapes’ March 19 at the Rutgers EcoComplex.

The workshop is FREE, but does require participants to be pre-registered.  Spots are first come – first served.

Click here for all of the details, and to see how to register.

N.J. pest-fighting laboratory long overdue for renovation

There’s a place in New Jersey where bugs are not swatted, trapped or flushed but instead, counted, fed and cared for. Unfortunately, the bugs are in better condition than the building that houses them.

The Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory (PABIL) has been fostering helpful insects since its construction in 1985. But in recent years, while still structurally sound, the lab is in serious need of an upgrade if it is to fulfill its mission

Click here to read the full story from the Star Ledger/NJ Spotlight.

Proposed regulations, they claim, would eliminate urban beekeeping and severely restrict the practice in most suburbs

Honeybee colonies worldwide have come under attack in recent years by the mysterious colony collapse disorder and vicious mite infestations. Now, in New Jersey, state regulations aimed at backyard beekeepers could become another threat to the bee population.

The proposed regulations would, among other changes, ban individuals from maintaining hives on properties of less than a quarter acre and place a two-hive limit on beekeepers with anywhere from a quarter acre to five acres of land.

Click here to read the full article at NJ Spotlight.

Agriculture has always been a keystone of the state’s economy; if no longer dominant in dollars, it certainly still plays a significant role in the Garden State’s image. The Department of Agriculture’s transition report underscores that fact, with its advisory committee hoping to enhance New Jersey’s public image by supporting agritourism efforts and bringing back the sidelined and underfunded Jersey Fresh program.

Click here to read the full story as published int he Star Ledger.