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New Jersey Farm Bureau News

Jay Leno to Address 96th AFBF Annual Convention

11 Jul 2014, Posted by admin in Meetings and Events, National News

jay lenoAcclaimed late night TV host Jay Leno will give the closing session keynote address at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show in San Diego on Jan. 12, 2015.

Leno, an admired stand-up comedian, is also a best-selling children’s book author, TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist. He has been widely characterized as “the hardest-working man in show business.”

“We are excited to have Jay Leno as one of our keynote speakers,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “We will be considering some very important policy issues during our time in San Diego, so it will be nice to take a break from the business at hand and share a lighter moment with Jay Leno.”

Leno’s late night television ratings domination has included hosting more than two decades of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” during which the show was a quarterly ratings winner for 19 consecutive years. While he was host, the show was honored by the Television Academy with an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series. “The Tonight Show” has also been honored as Favorite Late Night Show in the annual TV Guide Awards as determined by voting viewers.

Any one planning to attend, or having any questions about the convention should contact Liz Thompson in our office.

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EDITORIAL: Trenton fails on open space

02 Jul 2014, Posted by admin in State News

Open space is precious in New Jersey, and most residents understand the importance of preserving it. Voters are so sensitive to the need that they have repeatedly approved tax-hike proposals on local, county and state levels to assure money remains available to secure available land.

So it’s quite likely that New Jerseyans would support a new plan designed to establish a stable, long-term funding source for open space. The proposal has bipartisan backing, spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Bob Smith and Republican Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman, and it involves no new money. Instead, a small percentage of corporate business tax revenue that already goes to environmental programs would be redirected toward preservation. An estimated $71 million a year would become available in the first five years — still far below past expenditures. The Senate has overwhelmingly approved a ballot question for a constitutional amendment to enable the plan.

Click here to read the rest from mycentraljersey.com

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After a harsh winter New Jersey Crops are just peachy

13 Jun 2014, Posted by admin in Local Farms and Food, Weather

The strawberries are excellent — late, but excellent.

Local farmers are predicting that other crops will fare as well after the long, cold winter.

At worst, there was a delay in planting due to icy and wet soil. At best, the snow and cold moistened the ground and got rid of harmful fungi that pester the crops grown by more than 10,000 farmers in the Garden State.

Click here to read more.

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NJ Young Farmers meeting/tour tonight!

12 Jun 2014, Posted by admin in Meetings and Events

Do you have an interest in vegetable production? Please join us tonight as Jim Giamarese hosts our group for a visit/tour of his vegetable farm East Brunswick at 6:30 pm.

Address is: 155 Fresh Pond Road, East Brunswick NJ. Hope to see you there!

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Chris Christie should blame the neo-Luddites for the mess NJ’s in: Mulshine

10 Jun 2014, Posted by admin in State News

The front page of yesterday’s Star-Ledger featured a piece about a Fairleigh Dickinson/PublicMind Poll showing that most New Jerseyans plan to flee the state once they retire. The main reason given was our state’s high costs and taxes.

That was no surprise to me. Over the weekend, I’d attended an alumni event at my old high school. I got talking to a guy who sold his house last year and escaped to Key West. The property taxes on his place there are half what he used to pay here. The income tax? Florida doesn’t have one.

Click here to read more from Star Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine.

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Smallest farms becoming rarer in New Jersey

09 Jun 2014, Posted by admin in Local Farms and Food

Strings dangling from a greenhouse-like tunnel dance when a breeze blows through Shirley Kline’s small farm, a wisp of rural beauty in a cantaloupe patch.

The moment is not lost on the world-traveled farmer of 6 acres in Stow Creek Township, Cumberland County.

“If you don’t take pleasure in being out here and working and getting your hands dirty, this isn’t the life for you,” she said.

Kline represents a dwindling portion of New Jersey agriculture — the smallest acreage farms.

Click here to read more from The Press of Atlantic City.

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Jersey schools work with local growers, gardens

29 May 2014, Posted by admin in Local Farms and Food

Excitement is building around the New Jersey Farm to School program, said Mary Stein, associate director of the National Farm to School Network.

“Where New Jersey really stands out is through the school garden program. They’ve been major leaders around that movement,” Stein said.

“Those gardens are cultivated on school sites to familiarize students with gardening, food preparation, specific plants, and allow them to taste new fruits and vegetables,” said Peter Furey, executive director of the New Jersey Farm Bureau.

Beth Feehan, director of New Jersey Farm to School Network, has focused a lot of her attention on those school gardens.

Click here to read more.

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Farmers urged to report crop damage from recent wind and hail

27 May 2014, Posted by admin in Weather

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has been hearing reports of crop damage from a hail storm that hit Gloucester, Cumberland, Salem and Atlantic counties on May 22. The Department is working with USDA Farm Service Agency in helping to assess damage and determine what steps can be taken to assist farmers impacted by the storm. They are asking people who have hail damage or losses from excessive rain and wind to contact their local FSA county office to provide information relative to the extent of their losses in order to assist NJDA with seeking a disaster declaration. If they have NAP (Non-insured disaster assistance) FSA or if they have Crop insurance, remember to call the appropriate agency and request a loss adjuster look at any crop before it is destroyed in order not to jeopardize any potential program indemnity.

Please call the Department at 609-292-3976 if you have any questions.

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