The Next Generation of Farming in New Jersey:
Report on Cultivating the Future of Farming in the Garden State (March 2025)

  • Full Report – Background, Current Support, Challenges, and Recommendations
  • Factsheet – Overview of the report’s content and recommendations

The SADC recently adopted the Next Gen Program policy report linked above. The report is based on extensive outreach to and feedback from the agricultural community. 

The report summarizes the challenges faced by the next generation of farmers and farm businesses, and it provides recommendations for addressing the challenges, filling gaps in programming, and enhancing support. The recommendations are intended to help create a strategic path forward for supporting the next generation of farming in the Garden State.

Among the highlighted challenges are access to land, access to capital, gaining education and training, access to profitable markets, and navigating the agricultural industry and finding support. There are also unique challenges faced by urban growers as well as military veterans and active-duty service members.

The report highlights how these challenges are also issues that affect all farmers. Supporting the next generation also means supporting established farmers, such as with succession planning, planning for the next generation of their farm operations, and addressing the common farm viability issues that affect famers at all experience levels.

The report’s recommendations include ideas for new programs, resources, and partnerships. Some ideas could be implemented by the SADC/Next Generation Farmer Program, and some could be implemented by or with partners. Some ideas would also need support from the Legislature and Governor, such as through new legislation.

 

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