Secretary of Agriculture
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Secretary of Agriculture | |
Charles M. Kuperus
Phone 609-292-3976
Fax 609-292-3978
As Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Charles M. Kuperus has made repositioning agriculture for its future in New Jersey a focal point of his tenure.
Developing agricultural initiatives to meet changes in market demands, as well as preserving agriculture’s role in the nation’s most densely populated state and preparing future generations of farmers, are the challenges he has addressed.
The Secretary has charted a comprehensive course to oversee the programs that affect the state’s 9,600 farms and a food and agriculture complex that contributes $64 billion annually to the state’s economy. Under Secretary Kuperus’ leadership, the Department developed an Agricultural Smart Growth Plan, focusing on agriculture and how it complements growth and preservation plans in the state.
An increase in the emphasis on farmland preservation also has been seen. To date, New Jersey has permanently preserved over 138,000 acres through the state Farmland Preservation Program. In 2003, the state for the first time preserved over 20,000 acres in one year. New Jersey now leads the nation in the percentage of its farmland that has been preserved, at more than 16 percent.
In addition, Secretary Kuperus placed a new emphasis on promoting economic development to expand the marketplace for farmers. Each year, the Department has proposed a series of at least 100 economic development strategies for ten major sectors of the agricultural industry to provide more market opportunities to farmers. Through the follow-up to these proposals, the Secretary has spearheaded efforts to reach new and emerging markets.
One of those areas of development has been Green Energy. Secretary Kuperus recognized the potential for the farm community to benefit from alternative fuels, both as consumers of energy in their farm operations and as producers of the feed stocks needed to create alternative fuels, such as corn for ethanol and soybeans for bio-diesel. An aggressive program encompassing solar, wind and bio-fuels energy was undertaken to help interested farmers pursue these avenues for both cutting their costs and broadening the market for their commodities. That has led to a partnership with the state Board of Public Utilities to identify and develop areas in which the state can increase the use of alternative energy, in turn decreasing America’s dependence on foreign sources of limited fossil fuels.
Also during the Secretary’s tenure, the Department developed and adopted Child Nutrition guidelines that will ensure future generations of New Jersey school children have healthier choices of food and beverages throughout the school day. The guidelines removed “foods of minimal nutritional value” as defined by the USDA, all products with sugar in any form as the first ingredient and items with more than 8 grams of fat or 2 grams of saturated fat. The rules cover school vending machines, a la carte lines, school stores and fundraisers on school property any time during the school day. By cultivating good nutrition habits – part of an overall campaign of “Eating Right, Moving More” –
more young people will grow up with an appreciation and appetite for the many fresh fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products produced in New Jersey.
Agricultural segments such as horticulture and aquaculture also have been brought to the forefront and integrated more fully into the overall farming picture under Secretary Kuperus’ leadership. Horticulture is the single largest sector of New Jersey agriculture, and is an example of how the industry has changed to keep up with the state’s growth. Aquaculture, along with wild harvest fishing, bring New Jersey residents some of the finest seafood available anywhere, along with preserving the state’s maritime heritage.
The Secretary also has worked to strengthen the state’s well-known “Jersey Fresh” program, while branding other New Jersey agricultural products, such as the “Jersey Grown” brand for nursery and other horticultural items. A “Jersey Seafood” web site also was established to provide information on aquaculture products from the state.
Under Secretary Kuperus, the Department reorganized to streamline programs and more effectively meet its goals and performance measures. This included the creation of the new Division of Food and Nutrition, which consolidated related programs and placed a new emphasis on food and nutrition issues. This renewed focus has added impetus to the efforts to improve nutrition programs in schools, ensuring that children learn to choose healthy, nutritious foods.
By putting an emphasis on the creation of value-added products and the implementation of agri-tourism elements at New Jersey’s farms, the Secretary has helped create an environment in which farmers can have control of their products further into the market chain. This leads to greater viability of New Jersey’s farms.
Cultivating new and young farmers has also been a priority. By reaching out to people new to agriculture in the state, and by encouraging a renewed approach to the varied forms of agricultural education, the Secretary has aimed to ensure that further generations of farmers will keep New Jersey green and growing.
Mr. Kuperus was born in Sussex Borough and raised on the family dairy farm. Three years after graduating from Eastern Christian High School, he founded his own nursery and garden center.
From 1987 to 1992, Secretary Kuperus served on the Sussex Borough Council, where he was instrumental in planning and implementing upgrades to potable water and wastewater systems. From 1995 to 2001, he served as a commissioner on the New Jersey State Planning Commission; as chairman of the Plan Development Committee, he led the process to final plan adoption in March 2001.
