Agritourism meets ecotourism
in N.J.
(The New Jersey Farmer)
12.15.2006
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent
Blairstown — Wildlife and New Jersey
small farmers are both benefiting from a
new partnership designed to link together a
viable farming economy with wildlife
conservation in a manner that provides the
farmer with a source of income, and the
wildlife with a home.
The key element of the partnership is the
tourist.
While agritourism is nothing new, this
approach — with a more educational
emphasis — has been thoughtfully
designed to demonstrate the vital role that
our small farms play in maintaining natural
habitats in our rapidly suburbanizing state.
With the dual goals of educating non-
farmers about the far-reaching role local
agriculture can play in enhancing natural
ecosystems — and of providing farmers
with a innovative way to generate more
farm income — this new wave of tourism
is aimed at giving farm visitors a first-hand
look at the positive ways in which family
farms impact the environment.
This unique concept has evolved from a
innovative partnership between the New
Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) and the
grassroots, non-profit Foodshed Alliance.
The Foodshed Alliance, based in
Blairstown, has been educating consumers
about the high-quality products grown and
raised by local farmers.
Over the past five years, the group has also
formed an extensive network of small
farmers in the Sussex, Warren and Morris
County areas who believe in offering
homegrown products, grown in a
sustainable manner, directly to consumers
in the northwestern New Jersey region.
“Sustainable farmers know that healthy
ecosystems are an asset to every farm,”
said Tara Bowers, coordinator of the
Foodshed Alliance.
The Foodshed Alliance’s mission, she
emphasized, is to develop a local foods
system that supports our family farmers,
promotes environmental stewardship,
enhances our health and creates self-
sustaining communities which preserve our
regional identity, that and values.
The NJAS also realizes the value in
preserving the integrity of the traditional
agricultural communities that are still found
in the northwestern portion of our state.
“Farmers are the missing link,” said John
Parke, conservation planner/restoration
ecologist for NJAS.
He added that NJAS is “based around the
environmental awareness and the habitat
for threatened and endangered species,”
but recognize that keeping farmers farming
in an economically viable manner is one of
the best ways to preserve wildlife habitats.
NJAS has already launched the Agricultural
Heritage and Habitat Enhancement
(AHHCP) in which they work to connect
farmers to the many conservation grants
available through state and federal
programs.This program, said Parke, has
enabled local farmers to obtain grant
money, allowing them to implement
practices which benefit the farm and the
environment.
The partnership with the Foodshed Alliance
was a natural outgrowth.
When farmers farm in a sustainable
manner, they are interested in maintaining
the overall health of the soil, water and
diverse habitat that create a biologically
healthy farm environment, according to
BowersThe partnership with NJAS allows
the Foodshed Alliance to connect its
conservation-minded member farmers with
the like-minded customer base of NJAS
members.
NJAS’s member base of about 22,000
people, consists of avid wildlife proponents.
By connecting these people directly with
local farmers who are farming with natural
resource conservation in mind, both
wildlife and the farmer’s income can
benefit, Parke said.
Small group field trips organized by the
partnership will include wildlife watching
on the farm and will allow and encourage
participants to purchase food directly from
the farm market.These trips will be
arranged with the farmer’s individual
parameters in mind.
The farmer can limit which acreage is open
to the group, the date for the trip and the
duration of the visit, Parke explained.
NJAS staff will lead the trips.
While the non-farming public will get the
opportunity to explore the diverse wildlife
habitat that environmentally-sound farming
practices provide, the farmer will be
afforded the opportunity to connect with
consumers, sell his product and brand his
farm as a ecological asset to the
community.
The potential to develop a relationship with
“committed, thoughtful customers” who
will return to the farm is invaluable,
Bowers said.
Additionally, farmers are welcomed, but
not required, to become an active part of
the tour, perhaps providing farm history,
highlighting conservation practices used or
talking about the wildlife normally seen on
the farm, as well as promoting their farm
products.
Parke stated that wildlife viewing in New
Jersey generates more than $2 million
dollars in economic activity each year,
which places New Jersey as sixth out of
the 50 states in generating money from
outdoor recreational activities.
The potential to bring some of this income
directly to the farmer through this new
perspective on tourism is a main focus of
the partnership.
This program, Bowers and Parke agreed, is
the first step in combating the “disconnect”
that seems to exist between conservation-
minded citizens of New Jersey and the
farming sector.
Demonstrating the role that working farms
play, not only in providing a reliable, safe
food source for local communities, but
also by protecting remaining open lands,
enhancing wildlife habitat, preserving our
rural heritage and forging the foundation
for rural communities to remain
economically viable, can help to bridge the
gap.
Anyone — farmer or consumer —
interested in learning more about the
programs being scheduled is encouraged to
contact either John Parke of NJAS at 908-
766-5787, ext. 18 or Tara Bowers of the
Foodshed Alliance at 908-362-7967.
in N.J.
(The New Jersey Farmer)
12.15.2006
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent
Blairstown — Wildlife and New Jersey
small farmers are both benefiting from a
new partnership designed to link together a
viable farming economy with wildlife
conservation in a manner that provides the
farmer with a source of income, and the
wildlife with a home.
The key element of the partnership is the
tourist.
While agritourism is nothing new, this
approach — with a more educational
emphasis — has been thoughtfully
designed to demonstrate the vital role that
our small farms play in maintaining natural
habitats in our rapidly suburbanizing state.
With the dual goals of educating non-
farmers about the far-reaching role local
agriculture can play in enhancing natural
ecosystems — and of providing farmers
with a innovative way to generate more
farm income — this new wave of tourism
is aimed at giving farm visitors a first-hand
look at the positive ways in which family
farms impact the environment.
This unique concept has evolved from a
innovative partnership between the New
Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) and the
grassroots, non-profit Foodshed Alliance.
The Foodshed Alliance, based in
Blairstown, has been educating consumers
about the high-quality products grown and
raised by local farmers.
Over the past five years, the group has also
formed an extensive network of small
farmers in the Sussex, Warren and Morris
County areas who believe in offering
homegrown products, grown in a
sustainable manner, directly to consumers
in the northwestern New Jersey region.
“Sustainable farmers know that healthy
ecosystems are an asset to every farm,”
said Tara Bowers, coordinator of the
Foodshed Alliance.
The Foodshed Alliance’s mission, she
emphasized, is to develop a local foods
system that supports our family farmers,
promotes environmental stewardship,
enhances our health and creates self-
sustaining communities which preserve our
regional identity, that and values.
The NJAS also realizes the value in
preserving the integrity of the traditional
agricultural communities that are still found
in the northwestern portion of our state.
“Farmers are the missing link,” said John
Parke, conservation planner/restoration
ecologist for NJAS.
He added that NJAS is “based around the
environmental awareness and the habitat
for threatened and endangered species,”
but recognize that keeping farmers farming
in an economically viable manner is one of
the best ways to preserve wildlife habitats.
NJAS has already launched the Agricultural
Heritage and Habitat Enhancement
(AHHCP) in which they work to connect
farmers to the many conservation grants
available through state and federal
programs.This program, said Parke, has
enabled local farmers to obtain grant
money, allowing them to implement
practices which benefit the farm and the
environment.
The partnership with the Foodshed Alliance
was a natural outgrowth.
When farmers farm in a sustainable
manner, they are interested in maintaining
the overall health of the soil, water and
diverse habitat that create a biologically
healthy farm environment, according to
BowersThe partnership with NJAS allows
the Foodshed Alliance to connect its
conservation-minded member farmers with
the like-minded customer base of NJAS
members.
NJAS’s member base of about 22,000
people, consists of avid wildlife proponents.
By connecting these people directly with
local farmers who are farming with natural
resource conservation in mind, both
wildlife and the farmer’s income can
benefit, Parke said.
Small group field trips organized by the
partnership will include wildlife watching
on the farm and will allow and encourage
participants to purchase food directly from
the farm market.These trips will be
arranged with the farmer’s individual
parameters in mind.
The farmer can limit which acreage is open
to the group, the date for the trip and the
duration of the visit, Parke explained.
NJAS staff will lead the trips.
While the non-farming public will get the
opportunity to explore the diverse wildlife
habitat that environmentally-sound farming
practices provide, the farmer will be
afforded the opportunity to connect with
consumers, sell his product and brand his
farm as a ecological asset to the
community.
The potential to develop a relationship with
“committed, thoughtful customers” who
will return to the farm is invaluable,
Bowers said.
Additionally, farmers are welcomed, but
not required, to become an active part of
the tour, perhaps providing farm history,
highlighting conservation practices used or
talking about the wildlife normally seen on
the farm, as well as promoting their farm
products.
Parke stated that wildlife viewing in New
Jersey generates more than $2 million
dollars in economic activity each year,
which places New Jersey as sixth out of
the 50 states in generating money from
outdoor recreational activities.
The potential to bring some of this income
directly to the farmer through this new
perspective on tourism is a main focus of
the partnership.
This program, Bowers and Parke agreed, is
the first step in combating the “disconnect”
that seems to exist between conservation-
minded citizens of New Jersey and the
farming sector.
Demonstrating the role that working farms
play, not only in providing a reliable, safe
food source for local communities, but
also by protecting remaining open lands,
enhancing wildlife habitat, preserving our
rural heritage and forging the foundation
for rural communities to remain
economically viable, can help to bridge the
gap.
Anyone — farmer or consumer —
interested in learning more about the
programs being scheduled is encouraged to
contact either John Parke of NJAS at 908-
766-5787, ext. 18 or Tara Bowers of the
Foodshed Alliance at 908-362-7967.
Conservation efforts benefit
farmers and environment
(The New Jersey Farmer)
12.15.2006
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent
Warren County — New Jersey farmers
are leading the way in creating agricultural
lands that are also ecologically correct.
Best of all, the farmers are benefiting
economically from their participation in a
variety of state and federal grant programs
that promote — and finance — these
conservation efforts.
In March 2006, a symposium was held to
inform the local agricultural community
about a new streamlined process for
obtaining grants from numerous
conservation programs. Spearheaded by
the New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS),
this conservation outreach program has
since secured more than $300,000 in
funding for farmers and landowners in
northwestern New Jersey.
John Parke, conservation planner and
restoration ecologist for NJAS explained
that this program was designed to enhance
wildlife habitat, protect open space and
promote viable local agriculture.
Parke said that while millions of dollars in
grant money is available to New Jersey
farmers and other large lot landowners,
“New Jersey is losing funds every single
year because no one was signing up for
these things.”
Seeing a need to keep the dwindling funds
available, NJAS created a simple, quick and
effective way in which to connect farmers
and landowners to these various sources of
funding. NJAS’s Agricultural Heritage and
Habitat Conservation Plan provides free site
assessment and consultation to determine
program eligibility, to outline the options, to
file the paperwork and to advocate on the
farmer’s behalf.
Whether or not to actually enroll in any
program is at the farmer or landowner’s
discretion. NJAS “responds immediately”
to any assessment requests, Parke said.
Harmony Township was the original target
zone for enrollment in these conservation
programs. Facing extreme development
pressures, this rural community was facing
a potentially catastrophic loss of farmland.
With larger-than-average farms and lots of
contiguous land, Harmony Township is
unique in northwestern New Jersey.
The ecologically-sensitive area eventually
ended up being designated a Natural
Heritage Priority Site. Township officials,
looking for ways to further preserve a
viable agricultural-based rural lifestyle,
connected with NJAS in order to promote
programs that help keep farmers farming
the land.
The program has expanded outside of
Harmony Township and now includes land
in both Sussex, Hunterdon and Warren
Counties.
With almost a dozen different programs
available, including Wildlife Habitat
Incentives (WHIP), Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP),
Landowner’s Incentive Program (LIP),
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), a suitable match is readily
available. There are 25 applicants
representing more than 700 acres pending
acceptance into one of the programs at the
current time, according to Parke.
“Almost 80 percent of the people (who
received consultations) signed up for
something,” Parke said.
Some of the variables that are considered
before recommending enrollment in any of
the programs are the land’s characteristics,
the farmer’s future plans and needs, and
the economics of the farm. The goal is to
enhance the farmer’s financial stability
through participation in a program, Parke
said.
Removing marginally-productive lands and
returning them to warm-season grasslands
is one effective way of cutting farming
costs, enhancing habitat and potentially
creating additional income.
NJAS has paid a Knowlton Township
farmer enrolled in the WHIP program to
distribute his warm season grass hay bales
free of charge to other area farmers. These
sample hay bales were used to demonstrate
that the hay — cut down after the nesting
birds have left — is of a high quality and
can be income-producing.
By growing these warm season grasses on
marginal land, farmers can benefit
economically — and so can the birds!
Some of the conservation programs also
pay a rental income to the farmer for
restoring and maintaining grasslands.
Another way in which NJAS is assisting
area farmers is by providing direct aid, in
the form of mini-loans, which enable the
farmer the up-front money needed to
implement conservation practices. Many
programs require the farmer to pay the
initial expense — such as requiring deer
fencing in order to enroll — or to do the
work and then seek reimbursement.
NJAS, through private funding, is able to
provide the money for the improvements
directly to the farmer, who will repay the
loan at 1 percent interest when the
conservation program money is finally
received.
While the conservation programs and the
NJAS obviously are concerned with
environmental issues, Parke said that
farmers are “the missing link” who
connect open space, environmental
concerns and rural communities. Enabling
the farmer easy access to these various
programs provides the funding needing to
remove invasive species, protect stream
banks, plant buffer strips or decrease soil
erosion, all of which are beneficial to the
farmer as well as to the environment.
“We not trying to force habitat down
people’s throats,” Parke said, but are
insteading trying to “show our farmers that
there are options.”
NJAS believes that the fate of the farmland
in New Jersey is linked to the fate of our
most sensitive habitats.
While farmland preservation often saves
land from development, it has done little to
save the farmer.
By connecting farmers to readily available
conservation funding from numerous
sources, NJAS has enabled the farmer to
continue working the land while the land
continues to provide habitat and beauty, as
well as food, for the people of the state.
farmers and environment
(The New Jersey Farmer)
12.15.2006
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent
Warren County — New Jersey farmers
are leading the way in creating agricultural
lands that are also ecologically correct.
Best of all, the farmers are benefiting
economically from their participation in a
variety of state and federal grant programs
that promote — and finance — these
conservation efforts.
In March 2006, a symposium was held to
inform the local agricultural community
about a new streamlined process for
obtaining grants from numerous
conservation programs. Spearheaded by
the New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS),
this conservation outreach program has
since secured more than $300,000 in
funding for farmers and landowners in
northwestern New Jersey.
John Parke, conservation planner and
restoration ecologist for NJAS explained
that this program was designed to enhance
wildlife habitat, protect open space and
promote viable local agriculture.
Parke said that while millions of dollars in
grant money is available to New Jersey
farmers and other large lot landowners,
“New Jersey is losing funds every single
year because no one was signing up for
these things.”
Seeing a need to keep the dwindling funds
available, NJAS created a simple, quick and
effective way in which to connect farmers
and landowners to these various sources of
funding. NJAS’s Agricultural Heritage and
Habitat Conservation Plan provides free site
assessment and consultation to determine
program eligibility, to outline the options, to
file the paperwork and to advocate on the
farmer’s behalf.
Whether or not to actually enroll in any
program is at the farmer or landowner’s
discretion. NJAS “responds immediately”
to any assessment requests, Parke said.
Harmony Township was the original target
zone for enrollment in these conservation
programs. Facing extreme development
pressures, this rural community was facing
a potentially catastrophic loss of farmland.
With larger-than-average farms and lots of
contiguous land, Harmony Township is
unique in northwestern New Jersey.
The ecologically-sensitive area eventually
ended up being designated a Natural
Heritage Priority Site. Township officials,
looking for ways to further preserve a
viable agricultural-based rural lifestyle,
connected with NJAS in order to promote
programs that help keep farmers farming
the land.
The program has expanded outside of
Harmony Township and now includes land
in both Sussex, Hunterdon and Warren
Counties.
With almost a dozen different programs
available, including Wildlife Habitat
Incentives (WHIP), Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP),
Landowner’s Incentive Program (LIP),
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), a suitable match is readily
available. There are 25 applicants
representing more than 700 acres pending
acceptance into one of the programs at the
current time, according to Parke.
“Almost 80 percent of the people (who
received consultations) signed up for
something,” Parke said.
Some of the variables that are considered
before recommending enrollment in any of
the programs are the land’s characteristics,
the farmer’s future plans and needs, and
the economics of the farm. The goal is to
enhance the farmer’s financial stability
through participation in a program, Parke
said.
Removing marginally-productive lands and
returning them to warm-season grasslands
is one effective way of cutting farming
costs, enhancing habitat and potentially
creating additional income.
NJAS has paid a Knowlton Township
farmer enrolled in the WHIP program to
distribute his warm season grass hay bales
free of charge to other area farmers. These
sample hay bales were used to demonstrate
that the hay — cut down after the nesting
birds have left — is of a high quality and
can be income-producing.
By growing these warm season grasses on
marginal land, farmers can benefit
economically — and so can the birds!
Some of the conservation programs also
pay a rental income to the farmer for
restoring and maintaining grasslands.
Another way in which NJAS is assisting
area farmers is by providing direct aid, in
the form of mini-loans, which enable the
farmer the up-front money needed to
implement conservation practices. Many
programs require the farmer to pay the
initial expense — such as requiring deer
fencing in order to enroll — or to do the
work and then seek reimbursement.
NJAS, through private funding, is able to
provide the money for the improvements
directly to the farmer, who will repay the
loan at 1 percent interest when the
conservation program money is finally
received.
While the conservation programs and the
NJAS obviously are concerned with
environmental issues, Parke said that
farmers are “the missing link” who
connect open space, environmental
concerns and rural communities. Enabling
the farmer easy access to these various
programs provides the funding needing to
remove invasive species, protect stream
banks, plant buffer strips or decrease soil
erosion, all of which are beneficial to the
farmer as well as to the environment.
“We not trying to force habitat down
people’s throats,” Parke said, but are
insteading trying to “show our farmers that
there are options.”
NJAS believes that the fate of the farmland
in New Jersey is linked to the fate of our
most sensitive habitats.
While farmland preservation often saves
land from development, it has done little to
save the farmer.
By connecting farmers to readily available
conservation funding from numerous
sources, NJAS has enabled the farmer to
continue working the land while the land
continues to provide habitat and beauty, as
well as food, for the people of the state.
| Growing the Small Farm Customer Base: Web sites take root ORGANIC PRODUCER MAGAZINE May/June 2006 by Tamara Scully The small farmer has become an often overlooked and undervalued entity. As consumers become accustomed to the wider variety and cheaper prices offered by mass-production farms, the small grower is being denied the local, loyal customer base upon which he has traditionally depended. These customers, who provided a readily accessible market for the small farmer, can now conveniently purchase their fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs and meat at the nearby supermarket. And they are. With "seasonal" items now available year-round and for less money than the local crop, the consumer today has become dissociated from the process of growing food. And unless this trend can be reversed, the small farmer remains, at best, endangered. Can the Internet and Web-based advertising of small farms help to counteract this trend? In order to become a viable contender in today's marketplace, the small farmer needs to identify the changes in demographics and lifestyle that affect the way consumers relate to the world at large. One of these changes has been the development and use of the Internet as a primary method of seeking information and fostering communication. The small farm Web site can play an integral role in returning the customer to the small farm, and sustainably grown food to the dinner plate. A small farm Web site encourages the development of a relationship between the farmer and the modern consumer. It is this relationship upon which the foundation for local, sustainable agriculture can grow. The New Local The concept of "local" has been redefined. Today's farmer has a larger potential customer base than traditionally has been recognized. The small farmer 50 miles from the city center can now, in many cases, be considered the local producer. But if the urbanite isn't aware that it exists or what it has to offer, the farm has lost yet another customer to the omnipresent supermarket chains. A Web site allows the small farmer to reach consumers spread across this expanded local area in a cost-effective manner. Bear Creek Berry Patch, a seven-acre pick-your-own raspberry farm in Green Township, N.J., has relied on a Web site for the past eight years. "I've always felt that for our type of operation the Web site was the absolute best money spent on advertising," Ren Giliberti, the husband of owner Joyce Mooney, said. "The cost per year is comparable to the cost of one print ad in some publications." By providing the potential customer with a means of getting acquainted with the farm and its services, a Web site can help to develop a level of comfort for the consumer prior to the first visit to the farm. The Web site then serves as a catalyst in establishing a personal relationship between the producer and the customer. Technology, in this case, can provide the over-the-back-fence type of communication that otherwise has been lost in the modern, fast-paced world. Casting the Net A Web presence can reach consumers who are not necessarily looking for a specific farm, as well as those who are looking for other activities and inadvertently encounter the small farmer's Web site. Farmers without a Web site are eliminating these potential customers. The time and effort to maintain the Web site is negligible, Giliberti said, in comparison to the growth in the customer base. A Web site can be considered a "cyberspace flyer." By creating an image of the farm, it can attract customers who fit the farm's marketing plan. By defining the farm, its values and its practices, potential consumers can make an informed choice to patronize a particular farm. This can be quite empowering, as the consumer today is not often encouraged to make informed decisions based on fact rather than hype. "I think that the Web site works because you already have a customer that is interested," Giliberti said. Online Education Web site-based education has deepened customer appreciation of the labor needed to keep the farm thriving, Giliberti said, and has helped to reconnect the consumer with the seasonal rhythms of local farming. It has, in fact, brought the consumer back to the farm. By providing direct access to information that many consumers would not seek out on their own, the small farm Web site is advocating for proponents of environmentally sound, humane agricultural practices everywhere. Web sites give consumers a tangible way of "seeing" the impact their food dollars can make. By creating a Web presence, small farmers have the opportunity to become highly visible to the modern consumer, who might not otherwise discover the farm right down the street. Bear Creek Berry Patch can be found on the Web at: www.bearcreekberries.com. Tamara Scully (tammy@tamarajeanscully.com) is a freelance writer, a farmer and an advocate for locally grown foods, working with the Foodshed Alliance, a grassroots nonprofit in northwestern New Jersey. |
Farmer aims to use dual
wind turbines
01.01.2007
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent The New Jersey Farmer
Knowlton Township — Dairy farmer
Gene Makarevich feels the wind of
change blowing a bit of economic relief
his way.
It’s not that dairy farming has suddenly
become more profitable. While his wish
list for the New Year does include
wanting small dairy farmers to receive
more of a return per gallon on their
milk, he thought that some positive
change would be more immediate in
coming if he invested in a windmill or
two.
Makarevich’s electric bill for the dairy
farm runs around $800 a month.
With an investment in some wind
power, he feels his electricity bill will be
just about zero. The cost of the two
turbines he plans to install would be
easily recouped, and that whopping
electricity bill wouldn’t be such a
nemesis anymore.
Believing that the erection of wind
turbines would be considered an
accessory farm structure, Makarevich
went ahead and had two 100-foot-tall
monopole-style ones delivered to the
farm. He then learned from the Warren
County Agricultural Board that wind
turbines are not protected under the
Right-to-Farm Act.
That meant that Makarevich now had to
present an application for a variance to
the Knowlton Township Zoning Board
of Adjustment.
The maximum height allowed for on-
farm structures in the Township is 45
feet, meaning a height variance is
needed.
His lawyer notified those within 200 feet
of the property line of the farm, as per
township ordinance, and a public
meeting was held by the Zoning Board
early in December.
Makarevich’s wind turbines will be
located more than 600 feet from the
nearest property line and approximately
2,000 feet from the nearest dwelling,
except his own, he said.
The Makarevich family home is located
barely more than 500 feet from the
proposed wind turbine sites and he
expects that any noise, estimated to be
around 35 decibels at a 25-miles-per-
hour wind speed, will not be noticeable.
Route 80 can be heard from the farm,
Makarevich said, and creates enough
background noise that the wind turbine
noise won’t even be noticed.
The farm is almost 200 acres, preserved
under the Farmland Preservation Act.
One of the main fields — where the
turbines are to be located — is a flat
expanse on a rise above the barnyard.
Makarevich was advised that the wind
here was more than adequate to harness
a substantial amount of energy for on-
farm use.
While it hasn’t been as painless as he
hoped, the application process is
moving along. Hoping to have the wind
turbines erected by the winter,
Makarevich had already installed the
foundations, which he admits should
have waited until he knew for certain
what procedures he would need to
follow.
Should the Zoning Board approve the
needed variance for height, the building
department would have to address any
concerns regarding the structural
integrity of the foundations and resolve
any issue with construction permits.
Armed with photos of the construction,
as well as the manufacturer’s
specifications for the site preparation,
Makarevich hopes to resolve those
issues expediently.
While many neighbors attended the
December meeting, there was no public
comment against Makarevich’s proposal.
Many citizens did speak out against
another wind turbine proposal also in
front of the board that day, also on a
preserved farm within a mile or so of
Makarevich’s proposed turbines.
Several people spoke in favor of
Makarevich’s wind turbines, noting that
they will not obstruct any views any
more so than the pre-existing 200-foot-
tall, high-voltage power lines which
already run through the property, and
that they are so far from any property
line or dwelling that any noise concerns
are negated.
One issue raised by the zoning board
was clarified by Rob Baumley, the
assistant director of the State
Agricultural Development Board. The
question was raised as to whether a
wind turbine would be a permitted use
under the Farmland Preservation
easements.
If they are installed for the use of the
farm, and do not negatively impact on
any agricultural activity of the farm, the
wind turbines are absolutely allowable,
Baumley said.
Makarevich is hopeful that he next
zoning board meeting, scheduled for
Jan. 2, will resolve the outstanding
issues and grant the height variance he
needs to continue on with the turbine
installation.
For now, the wind turbines lie on their
sides in the open fields, collecting dust.
Soon, he hopes, they will rise up into
the sky, creating renewable energy from
the wind.
wind turbines
01.01.2007
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent The New Jersey Farmer
Knowlton Township — Dairy farmer
Gene Makarevich feels the wind of
change blowing a bit of economic relief
his way.
It’s not that dairy farming has suddenly
become more profitable. While his wish
list for the New Year does include
wanting small dairy farmers to receive
more of a return per gallon on their
milk, he thought that some positive
change would be more immediate in
coming if he invested in a windmill or
two.
Makarevich’s electric bill for the dairy
farm runs around $800 a month.
With an investment in some wind
power, he feels his electricity bill will be
just about zero. The cost of the two
turbines he plans to install would be
easily recouped, and that whopping
electricity bill wouldn’t be such a
nemesis anymore.
Believing that the erection of wind
turbines would be considered an
accessory farm structure, Makarevich
went ahead and had two 100-foot-tall
monopole-style ones delivered to the
farm. He then learned from the Warren
County Agricultural Board that wind
turbines are not protected under the
Right-to-Farm Act.
That meant that Makarevich now had to
present an application for a variance to
the Knowlton Township Zoning Board
of Adjustment.
The maximum height allowed for on-
farm structures in the Township is 45
feet, meaning a height variance is
needed.
His lawyer notified those within 200 feet
of the property line of the farm, as per
township ordinance, and a public
meeting was held by the Zoning Board
early in December.
Makarevich’s wind turbines will be
located more than 600 feet from the
nearest property line and approximately
2,000 feet from the nearest dwelling,
except his own, he said.
The Makarevich family home is located
barely more than 500 feet from the
proposed wind turbine sites and he
expects that any noise, estimated to be
around 35 decibels at a 25-miles-per-
hour wind speed, will not be noticeable.
Route 80 can be heard from the farm,
Makarevich said, and creates enough
background noise that the wind turbine
noise won’t even be noticed.
The farm is almost 200 acres, preserved
under the Farmland Preservation Act.
One of the main fields — where the
turbines are to be located — is a flat
expanse on a rise above the barnyard.
Makarevich was advised that the wind
here was more than adequate to harness
a substantial amount of energy for on-
farm use.
While it hasn’t been as painless as he
hoped, the application process is
moving along. Hoping to have the wind
turbines erected by the winter,
Makarevich had already installed the
foundations, which he admits should
have waited until he knew for certain
what procedures he would need to
follow.
Should the Zoning Board approve the
needed variance for height, the building
department would have to address any
concerns regarding the structural
integrity of the foundations and resolve
any issue with construction permits.
Armed with photos of the construction,
as well as the manufacturer’s
specifications for the site preparation,
Makarevich hopes to resolve those
issues expediently.
While many neighbors attended the
December meeting, there was no public
comment against Makarevich’s proposal.
Many citizens did speak out against
another wind turbine proposal also in
front of the board that day, also on a
preserved farm within a mile or so of
Makarevich’s proposed turbines.
Several people spoke in favor of
Makarevich’s wind turbines, noting that
they will not obstruct any views any
more so than the pre-existing 200-foot-
tall, high-voltage power lines which
already run through the property, and
that they are so far from any property
line or dwelling that any noise concerns
are negated.
One issue raised by the zoning board
was clarified by Rob Baumley, the
assistant director of the State
Agricultural Development Board. The
question was raised as to whether a
wind turbine would be a permitted use
under the Farmland Preservation
easements.
If they are installed for the use of the
farm, and do not negatively impact on
any agricultural activity of the farm, the
wind turbines are absolutely allowable,
Baumley said.
Makarevich is hopeful that he next
zoning board meeting, scheduled for
Jan. 2, will resolve the outstanding
issues and grant the height variance he
needs to continue on with the turbine
installation.
For now, the wind turbines lie on their
sides in the open fields, collecting dust.
Soon, he hopes, they will rise up into
the sky, creating renewable energy from
the wind.
Photo by Tamara Scully
Makarevich Dairy: fields with Water Gap View
Udder Necessity:
Dairy farmer stays in business by
enrolling in Farmland
Preservation program
01.01.2007
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent The New Jersey Farmer
Knowlton Township — Gene
Makarevich knew that he wanted to
farm. He just didn’t quite know how
he would be able to make a living
doing what is arguably the most
difficult and least financially
rewarding type of farming still
practiced in New Jersey today: dairy
farming.
Makarevich’s father purchased the
land — now the Makarevich Dairy
— in 1962, and erected a main dairy
barn shortly thereafter. It is this
nearly 200-acre parcel of land
which the younger Makarevich now
farms. He also farms another 500
acres of rented land scattered
nearby.
The additional acreage is needed,
Makarevich said, in order to
produce enough silage to feed his
cows and enough extra to sell to
make a bit of a profit to help
support the farm.
Makarevich believes that he could
not be farming today if his father
hadn’t purchased the land almost a
half-century ago.
“You couldn’t possibly farm today
— starting out — if your parents
didn’t. The cost ... as it is, is
astronomical,” Makarevich said of
the economics of running a farm.
It would be almost impossible for a
young person to purchase the land
needed to farm today, he said.
Never mind building the needed
farm infrastructure, buying
equipment, hiring labor or making
enough money to pay the mortgage,
the utility bills, the doctor bills and
to provide for the needs of a
growing family, just like any other
business person.
But what the farmer requires that
most other businesses don’t is land.
Farmers, obviously, need land on
which to grow the crops which
either directly feed the consumers
or feed the livestock which then
provide today’s consumers with
meat and dairy products.
Without land, there is no farming.
Without farming, there is no food.
Part of the answer of how to keep
farmers in New Jersey farming,
Makarevich said, lies in the
Farmland Preservation Program. His
own farm was enrolled in the
Farmland Preservation Program in
1995. He did so because he realized
that he needed the land in order to
farm it, so selling it was not an
option. He also needed money to
invest back into the farm to make
necessary upgrades, or the dairy
couldn’t grow and improve. If the
dairy couldn’t grow, he couldn’t
make enough money to support his
family and would have to stop
farming.
The win-win solution for
Makarevich was to sell the
development rights by enrolling the
rich, productive soils of this
agricultural land into the Farmland
Preservation Program. Makarevich
elected to sell the development
easement on the property for a fair
market value, yet retain ownership
of the land, which now must be
kept in agricultural use permanently.
The program, Makarevich said,
gave him the opportunity to take the
money paid for his development
easement and invest it back into the
farm. It has, in fact, allowed him to
farm.
In addition to the Farmland
Preservation Program’s ability to
help farmers keep farming their own
land, Makarevich is also a supporter
of non-farmers who purchase land
that has been preserved forever for
agricultural use. Why?
Because not many farmers have the
capital to actually purchase this
land, yet these wealthy landowners
do. The landowners can then lease
out the land to the farmers, many of
whom would be hard pressed to
afford it on their own. It might not
be the ideal solution, but it is one
that makes sense, at least for the
foreseeable future, he said.
“The farmers that are ‘true farmers’
— that make a living from farming-
need the people that have the
preserved land to exist,” Makarevich
stated.
Besides, if the land isn’t preserved
and is ultimately developed, it is lost
forever from agriculture.
Makarevich has seen too much
farmland disappear. And once its
gone, there is no getting it back. So
preserving it — even if the owners
aren’t farmers themselves — at
least keeps the land open for future
agricultural use.
Makarevich sells his milk to
Farmland Dairies.He receives
approximately 90 cents per gallon of
milk produced. He has to pay for
the trucking of the milk, as well as
some advertising costs. Needless to
say, the retail price of a gallon of
milk isn’t being recouped by the
dairy farmers, Makarevich said.
Makarevich milks about 75 cows,
with 15 dry, at a time. He also has
about 15 calves, on average.
Makarevich keeps his cows milking
for about six years. He has a total
herd of around 200, with some
being out of production and others
being show cows
His two children, as well as his
nieces and nephews, all participate
in showing these cows, and have
won numerous awards which line
the walls and shelves of the dairy
office.
Two years ago, Makarevich was
able to add a calf barn, for the
newborn-to-three-month-old crowd.
The rest of his herd is separated by
size, to prevent any bullying
incidents. He keeps each cow dry
for about two months a year,
rotating them through a schedule
which helps to keep the cows
healthy and productive, he said.
His barn has “comfort stalls” where
the animals are cared for
individually, preventing stress,
unlike in a commercialized dairy
farm, where crowded conditions
and a fast-paced environment cause
stress, illness and falls.
Makarevich is in the process of
making more changes to the dairy
which will ultimately benefit the
cows, the environment and the
consumers of his milk.
Next up is a project he has long
anticipated- more access to pasture
for the herd. He wants to have a
rotational grazing system in place
soon.
A planned addition of a covered
40x90 exercise lot with direct
access to the upper pasture, where
a special-blend pasture mix will
entice them to stay and graze, and
fencing will keep them safe, is
Makarevich’s vision for the near
future.
His goal: 50 percent pasture-based
feed. His reasons? “Economics and
the health and longevity of the
cows.” Being outside, and eating the
pasture grasses their bodies were
designed to optimally digest, means
more exercise and better muscle
tone, and less stress and illness, he
said.
“All natural is the best way to go,”
Makarevich said.
He may still have a way to go, but
Makarevich intends to get there.
For now, its milking time again. The
cows are waiting.
Makarevich Dairy: fields with Water Gap View
Udder Necessity:
Dairy farmer stays in business by
enrolling in Farmland
Preservation program
01.01.2007
By Tamara Jean Scully
AFP Correspondent The New Jersey Farmer
Knowlton Township — Gene
Makarevich knew that he wanted to
farm. He just didn’t quite know how
he would be able to make a living
doing what is arguably the most
difficult and least financially
rewarding type of farming still
practiced in New Jersey today: dairy
farming.
Makarevich’s father purchased the
land — now the Makarevich Dairy
— in 1962, and erected a main dairy
barn shortly thereafter. It is this
nearly 200-acre parcel of land
which the younger Makarevich now
farms. He also farms another 500
acres of rented land scattered
nearby.
The additional acreage is needed,
Makarevich said, in order to
produce enough silage to feed his
cows and enough extra to sell to
make a bit of a profit to help
support the farm.
Makarevich believes that he could
not be farming today if his father
hadn’t purchased the land almost a
half-century ago.
“You couldn’t possibly farm today
— starting out — if your parents
didn’t. The cost ... as it is, is
astronomical,” Makarevich said of
the economics of running a farm.
It would be almost impossible for a
young person to purchase the land
needed to farm today, he said.
Never mind building the needed
farm infrastructure, buying
equipment, hiring labor or making
enough money to pay the mortgage,
the utility bills, the doctor bills and
to provide for the needs of a
growing family, just like any other
business person.
But what the farmer requires that
most other businesses don’t is land.
Farmers, obviously, need land on
which to grow the crops which
either directly feed the consumers
or feed the livestock which then
provide today’s consumers with
meat and dairy products.
Without land, there is no farming.
Without farming, there is no food.
Part of the answer of how to keep
farmers in New Jersey farming,
Makarevich said, lies in the
Farmland Preservation Program. His
own farm was enrolled in the
Farmland Preservation Program in
1995. He did so because he realized
that he needed the land in order to
farm it, so selling it was not an
option. He also needed money to
invest back into the farm to make
necessary upgrades, or the dairy
couldn’t grow and improve. If the
dairy couldn’t grow, he couldn’t
make enough money to support his
family and would have to stop
farming.
The win-win solution for
Makarevich was to sell the
development rights by enrolling the
rich, productive soils of this
agricultural land into the Farmland
Preservation Program. Makarevich
elected to sell the development
easement on the property for a fair
market value, yet retain ownership
of the land, which now must be
kept in agricultural use permanently.
The program, Makarevich said,
gave him the opportunity to take the
money paid for his development
easement and invest it back into the
farm. It has, in fact, allowed him to
farm.
In addition to the Farmland
Preservation Program’s ability to
help farmers keep farming their own
land, Makarevich is also a supporter
of non-farmers who purchase land
that has been preserved forever for
agricultural use. Why?
Because not many farmers have the
capital to actually purchase this
land, yet these wealthy landowners
do. The landowners can then lease
out the land to the farmers, many of
whom would be hard pressed to
afford it on their own. It might not
be the ideal solution, but it is one
that makes sense, at least for the
foreseeable future, he said.
“The farmers that are ‘true farmers’
— that make a living from farming-
need the people that have the
preserved land to exist,” Makarevich
stated.
Besides, if the land isn’t preserved
and is ultimately developed, it is lost
forever from agriculture.
Makarevich has seen too much
farmland disappear. And once its
gone, there is no getting it back. So
preserving it — even if the owners
aren’t farmers themselves — at
least keeps the land open for future
agricultural use.
Makarevich sells his milk to
Farmland Dairies.He receives
approximately 90 cents per gallon of
milk produced. He has to pay for
the trucking of the milk, as well as
some advertising costs. Needless to
say, the retail price of a gallon of
milk isn’t being recouped by the
dairy farmers, Makarevich said.
Makarevich milks about 75 cows,
with 15 dry, at a time. He also has
about 15 calves, on average.
Makarevich keeps his cows milking
for about six years. He has a total
herd of around 200, with some
being out of production and others
being show cows
His two children, as well as his
nieces and nephews, all participate
in showing these cows, and have
won numerous awards which line
the walls and shelves of the dairy
office.
Two years ago, Makarevich was
able to add a calf barn, for the
newborn-to-three-month-old crowd.
The rest of his herd is separated by
size, to prevent any bullying
incidents. He keeps each cow dry
for about two months a year,
rotating them through a schedule
which helps to keep the cows
healthy and productive, he said.
His barn has “comfort stalls” where
the animals are cared for
individually, preventing stress,
unlike in a commercialized dairy
farm, where crowded conditions
and a fast-paced environment cause
stress, illness and falls.
Makarevich is in the process of
making more changes to the dairy
which will ultimately benefit the
cows, the environment and the
consumers of his milk.
Next up is a project he has long
anticipated- more access to pasture
for the herd. He wants to have a
rotational grazing system in place
soon.
A planned addition of a covered
40x90 exercise lot with direct
access to the upper pasture, where
a special-blend pasture mix will
entice them to stay and graze, and
fencing will keep them safe, is
Makarevich’s vision for the near
future.
His goal: 50 percent pasture-based
feed. His reasons? “Economics and
the health and longevity of the
cows.” Being outside, and eating the
pasture grasses their bodies were
designed to optimally digest, means
more exercise and better muscle
tone, and less stress and illness, he
said.
“All natural is the best way to go,”
Makarevich said.
He may still have a way to go, but
Makarevich intends to get there.
For now, its milking time again. The
cows are waiting.
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photo courtesy of John Parke, NJAS
Photo by Tamara Scully: windmill
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