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Progress
The work of the Next Generation Farmer Program has included:
Research, Outreach, and Report Development
- The Next Gen Program team conducted extensive research and outreach to the agricultural community to develop the Next Gen policy report:
The Next Generation of Farming in New Jersey: A Report on Cultivating the Future of Farming in the Garden State" (March 2025). - This work included:
- More than 100 meetings and interviews with farmers and agricultural community stakeholders.
- Developing online surveys and receiving more than 200 responses.
- Researching more than 400 programs from across the country that benefit next generation farmers to identify successful models that could be adapted to New Jersey.
- The Next Gen team is continuing to research model initiatives and conduct outreach as it develops the Next Gen Program.
Collaboration
- The Next Gen team has been meeting and building relationships with agricultural service provider organizations around the State, including partners already working on next generation farm and farmer issues. Supporting and enhancing existing efforts is a program goal, as is helping to foster a coordinated, collaborative network of support organizations.
- The program has connected with Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ), Foodshed Alliance, North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development (North Jersey RC&D), New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative (NJFDC), USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the State Board of Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau, County Boards of Agriculture, County Agriculture Development Boards (CADBs), and others.
- The Next Gen Program has been working closely with the Rutgers Beginner Farmer Training Program by providing educational lectures to students, attending Q&A sessions, speaking at program events, and partnering to develop further education and outreach.
- Several collaborative events have already been completed, and the program will continue to work closely with partners to maximize the impact of their efforts.
- If you or your organization is interested in partnering with the Next Gen Program to develop an educational or training event for next generation farmers, please contact the program team.
- Examples of some completed, collaborative events:
- Moonshot Farm Tour and Equipment Demonstration in Collaboration with Rutgers Beginner Farmer Training Program and the New Jersey Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (NJ CRAFT).
- Veteran Farmers of New Jersey
- Next Generation Ag Summit in collaboration with NJDA and FFA
- Somerset County Farmer Resource Fair
- If you or your organization is interested in partnering with the Next Gen Program to develop an educational or training event for next generation farmers, please contact the program team.
Program Development
- NJ Land Link
- The Next Gen Program cleaned up all the postings on NJ Land Link and developed a regular schedule for maintaining the site.
- All NJ Land Link postings have been verified as current and active. Any outdated farmland and farmer postings have been archived.
- The Next Gen Program created a NJ Land Link Fact Sheet for how to use NJ Land Link.
- New users who are looking for additional resources are followed up with to provide guidance.
- The Next Gen Program assisted more than 120 next generation farmers and 25 farm owners between May 2024 and April 2025.
- Training / Direct Assistance
- The Next Gen team is participating in the American Farmland Trust (AFT) Land Transfer Navigator Program, a national program led in partnership by AFT with support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase the transfer of farmland and farm businesses to a new generation of producers.
The Next Gen team is attending trainings to help develop succession planning tools and strategies for farmers. The goal is to help retiring farmers protect the legacy of their farms, allow them to retire with financial security, and provide next generation farmers with access to land and support.
If you or your farm business are involved in/considering succession planning or farmland transfer, you can reach out to the Next Gen Team to discuss your needs and learn about available support.
- The Next Gen team is participating in the American Farmland Trust (AFT) Land Transfer Navigator Program, a national program led in partnership by AFT with support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase the transfer of farmland and farm businesses to a new generation of producers.
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Farm Transfer and Succession Support Fact Sheet (for more information about available support)
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- The Next Gen team completed the Farm Commons “Guiding Resilience” workshop series, empowering them to provide support to farmers who are seeking to reduce legal risk in their business.
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NJ Agricultural SkillBridge Program
- The Next Gen Program partnered with the United States Department of Defense (DOD) to make an Agricultural SkillBridge Program available in New Jersey. This program is intended to create a pathway for meaningful careers in agriculture by connecting agricultural employers with active-duty service members who are nearing the end of their service.
- SkillBridge Program Fact Sheet (for more information and how to participate)
- New Programs and Resources
- The SADC adopted the NJ Next Gen Farming Report on March 27, 2025.
- The Next Gen Program has been working since then to develop and implement new initiatives and bolster existing efforts, as recommended in the report.
