The Future of Urban Ag in NJ

fresh, healthy food is limited.

The FSA Urban Agriculture Pilot Program seeks to partner with urban producers to help them grow and be successful by expanding and opening urban agriculture offices. Through this program, we are looking to provide resources, technical assistance, and financing to support urban agriculture projects. We are committed to working with urban farmers to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Other states that are part of the Urban Agriculture Pilot Program have already opened offices and have seen great interest and success. We are excited to bring this program to New Jersey and make a difference in our communities in the near future.

In addition to addressing food insecurity and land access, urban agriculture can also provide economic benefits to communities. By creating local jobs and stimulating local economies, urban agriculture can help revitalize communities and create new opportunities for residents.

In Detroit, urban agriculture has created around $711,000 in annual revenue for the city. By providing employment opportunities, urban agriculture is preserving inner-city residents’ access to resources that would otherwise be lost.

As the NJ State Executive Director for FSA, I am committed to supporting urban agriculture and helping to build a more sustainable, resilient food system in New Jersey. I encourage anyone interested in urban agriculture to reach out to our team and learn more about how we can help. For more information on USDA Urban Agriculture are controlled by different methods and chemicals.

Grubs are becoming active this time of year. Their life cycle has them starting to come up to the surface from deep in the soil, and changing to adult beetles. If you have had a past history of grubs in your lawn, now is a good time to address them with an application. Follow label directions and water in any products to get the active ingredient to the subsoil level. A healthy growing lawn can survive a few grubs per square foot of lawn area. If you suspect grubs in your lawn, get a rake out and pull back the grass in damaged areas to monitor them. That’s a long enough list for this month. Enjoy your summer with family and friends.

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com initiatives, visit farmers.gov or reach out to your local county FSA office. Our team is always happy to answer your questions and help.

In closing, I want to emphasize the importance of supporting our agricultural community, both urban and rural. We are all in this together, and we must work together to ensure the success of our farmers and the vitality of our communities. At FSA, we are here to help, and we encourage you to take advantage of our programs and resources to support your farm or agricultural project. Together, we can build a better future for agriculture in New Jersey.

Acreage Reporting and NASS Ag Census Reminder

Participating in Acreage Reporting and the National Agricultural Statistics Service

(NASS) Agriculture Census is an important way for farmers to help themselves and their fellow farmers. By providing accurate information about their acreage, production, and other farming activities, farmers can ensure that Washington has the most up-to-date information to make informed decisions about agricultural programs and funding. This data is used to determine eligibility for programs such as crop insurance, conservation programs, and other agricultural assistance. By participating in Acreage Reporting and the Agriculture Census, farmers are helping to bring additional program resources and funding to New Jersey’s agricultural community. The Acreage Reporting deadline for soybeans, corn and other spring-planted feed grains, perennial forage, CRP, hemp and most other crops is July 15, 2023.

Editor’s Note: Bob Andrzejczak is the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New Jersey. He can also be reached at 609587-0104 during regular business hours. For more information, please visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/ state-offices/New-Jersey/ sed-biography/index

Green is a color most people do not often consider for the theme of a garden. It is a color found in few flowers, yet it clearly abounds through foliage. In fact, blending together plants with foliage of different sizes and shapes can create a textural garden with wonderful outcomes. Ferns are a great group of plants for such gardens. With its intricate and delicate beauty, one of my favorites for a ‘green garden’ is the Northern Maidenhair Fern, botanically known as Adiantum pedatum.

Adiantum is a large genus, with upwards of 220-250 species. The genus is thought to have evolved less than 100 Million Years Ago (MYA), making it modern as far as ferns are concerned. Despite its ‘youth’, Adiantum pedatum has an impressive native range stretching from the eastern regions of North America to the temperate regions of Eastern Asia and the Himalayas. Traditionally, it is placed in the Brake Fern family, or Pteridaceae, but some authorities have placed it in its own family of Adiantaceae. Both the genus and species name were penned in 1753 by the Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus (17071778). The genus name comes from the Greek A, meaning not

Each year, the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) chooses a service project in an effort to give back to the community, and to increase recognition of our members and the use of quality landscape professionals. This year, the association chose Bergen Community College (BCC) in Paramus, NJ as the site of its 2023 Service Project.

Generally, the project is aimed at helping schools, non-profits and/ or causes close to our hearts. In past years, we have restored wetlands for endangered birds, created outdoor classrooms and greenhouses for schools, rehabilitated the grounds of a Boy Scout camp, assisted in setting up an urban farm, and much more. Project values have ranged from $15,000 to over $100,000 between donated materials and labor. Volunteers and donors come from our giving and generous membership, willing to provide materials, skilled and unskilled labor, and even meals! In return, these wonderful people get the satisfaction and joy of seeing their work make someone’s life better!

The 2023 project entailed the creation of a seating area, planter beds, and a wheelchair-accessible walkway to a gazebo opposite the BCC greenhouse and horticulture