New Jersey Farm Bureau News

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

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.

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.