Praise and Appreciation

The celebrations continue in 2023.

Congratulations are in order for my good friend Bert Kuhn. He has been named president of the New Jersey Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (NJISA). Bert is a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert and is a founding partner of Action Tree Service (NJTC768009) in Watchung, Somerset County, NJ. My Dad really loved Bert when he went over to his house to talk about trees. Bert’s knowledge of arboriculture is incredible. He knows all aspects of growing trees, maintaining them, identifying them, planting trees for their ornamental value, and removing trees.

The NJISA was founded in 1974. In 2001, the merger of the Arborists Association of NJ (AANJ) and the NJISA created a more unified industry leader in the field of arboriculture, the New Jersey Arborists, Chapter of the ISA (NJAISA). There are currently over six hundred members in the chapter including commercial, consulting, municipal, and utility arborists, researchers and educators, horticulturists, and individuals interested in the proper and professional care of trees and landscapes.

The NJ Chapter of the ISA is preparing to host its annual Tree Climbing Competition, which will once again be held at Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ. The event will start on Friday, June 9 with Gear Check and Ascent from 12pm - 5pm. Saturday, June 10 will begin with a walk-through promptly at 7:30am. Please plan to arrive by 7:00am on Saturday: the competition events will begin no later than 8:30am. I can’t wait to attend this event. The male and female winners of the masters’ challenge event on June 10 will qualify for the International Tree Climbing Competition in Albuquerque, NM on August 11-13.

Barlow’s on Sea Girt Avenue in Sea Girt, Monmouth County, New Jersey is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year.

Barlow’s is an historic family homestead and horticultural business that was purchased in 1983 by Stephen and Leslie Barlow. The original Barlow Flower Farm consisted of a farmhouse built in 1807, one retail greenhouse, ten small growing greenhouses, a retail shop that was formerly used for produce sales, and a garage for production. Early expansion emphasized improving the growing facilities. As sales grew, existing facilities were moved or converted to increase both indoor and outdoor retail space, and each year saw new production greenhouses erected.

During the fall of 2004, Barlow Flower Farm became Barlow’s and went through a renovation of the retail facility. The two original retail greenhouse structures were removed and replaced by a 10,000 sq. ft. European glass greenhouse. Along with the retail renovation, Barlow’s increased the number of growing greenhouses to 28 and the outdoor growing area to 1.5 acres.

Barlow’s is committed to providing customers with the finest quality products and superior customer service from a knowledgeable and well-trained staff. Specializing in propagating seeds and cuttings, Barlow’s produces up to 70% of its plants that are sold and used by the company throughout the year, and continues to be one of New Jersey’s largest retail annual growers. Stephen and Leslie continue their involvement in the business, and have been joined by Stephen Barlow III, their son, who is the President of Operations and general manager.

Bardy Farms & Greenhouses is celebrating 40 years in business at their Washington Valley Road, Warren Township, Somerset County, New Jersey location.

The Bardy Family history in America started when Abraham Bardy emigrated from Russia in 1904. He was a poor farmer who started vegetable farming in Union, Union County, New Jersey. In 1905, he sent for his wife, Gussie, and five year old son, Jack, both of whom were still in Russia. Abraham and Gussie had eight children together: Jack, Edward, Joseph, Philip, Ida, Florence, Anna and Bertha. The brothers and sisters all worked the farm. The vegetables, eggs and butter that they produced were sold in the Elizabeth Market on High Street in Union, Union County.

Years later they had a small roadside stand on Morris Avenue, Union, Union County. That stand developed into their first little grocery store. That store was located where the Majestic Cleaners store is today. In 1952, the brothers built their first supermarket.

Bardy Farms Supermarket was the most modern and progressive market of its time in the country. The store had frozen food, a bakery department, deli, and a butcher shop on site, fresh seafood department, and of course a produce department featuring their very own produce, most of which was grown just two blocks away on Spruce Street in Union, Union County where their 40-acre vegetable farm was located.

In the late 1950′s, due to the success of the supermarket, the family purchased farm land in Basking Ridge, Somerset County; Millington, Morris County: North Plainfield, and Warren Township in Somerset County, New Jersey. The 30-acre farm on Route 22 East in North Plainfield was to become the site of the next Bardy Farms Supermarket, but was instead longterm leased to Great Eastern and is presently the site of a new Costco. The Warren site became the location of the next supermarket and shopping center. The Bardy Farms Country Square of Warren Township was built in 1960. The 130-acre Millington farm was donated in 1998 to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, one of more than 550 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The refuge is managed by the federal United States Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency within the United States Department of the Interior. The Basking Ridge farm was developed and is the present site of the Barons Condominium Association.

Today, Philip’s son, Rob, operates Bardy Farms & Greenhouses. Rob, a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, is the last family member still farming after all these years.

Complimentary copies of Gardener News can be found at both of these fine businesses, and many more!

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening, landscaping and nursery communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

I am writing this column for the last time in my position as Secretary of Agriculture for the state of New Jersey and, I must admit, I never fully contemplated the day I would retire from this post. I’ve always loved doing the work in agriculture and appreciated the people I’ve met along the way – our fabulous farmers and my associates in our Department of Agriculture.

Leaving now just seemed like the right time. As with all of nature, there is a season and a time for change and even growth. So, as I prepare to move into the next phase of life, it’s fitting to look back on how my role as Secretary brought me to these pages, and to thank those who were integral in that journey.

First, I want to thank Tom Castronovo for inviting me over these past years to share my thoughts and experiences about all aspects of the involvement we all share with plants, gardens, and agriculture in general.

This publication, celebrating its 20th year, is an extraordinary vehicle for readers to be educated and enlightened on any number of interests connected in various fashions. Along with my cohorts who write in each issue, there is real wisdom, heartfelt emotion, and factual information combined into this green tabloid that really makes Gardener News unique in the industry.

Looking back over the years, I recall so many topics, from farm-toschool, gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic,

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

By Douglas H. Fisher Secretary of Agriculture