Sarlo, Addiego Bill Would Provide a Boost to Local Farms

TRENTON – Acting to allow local farms in New Jersey to engage in limited “agritourism” activities, the Senate today approved a bill authored by Senators Paul Sarlo and Dawn Addiego that would permit “special occasion” events to enable preserved farms to generate supplemental revenue. The vote was 38-0.

The bill, S-2714, would allow farms that produce agricultural or horticultural products worth between $10,000 and $100,000 annually to hold up to a maximum of 15 special occasion events per calendar year and those producing $100,000 or more to hold up 26 events a year.

“The special occasion events, such as weddings, lifetime milestone events, and other cultural or social events, had the capacity to generate much needed additional revenue for local farms,” said Senator Sarlo. (D-Bergen/Passaic).”They also serve to promote farms and their products, which is beneficial to the state’s Farmland Preservation Program. During the COVID-19 shutdown, these outdoor activities are important to the economy and will help farms survive difficult economic challenges.”

The legislation would implement the recommendations by the State Agriculture Development Committee in its final report on the pilot program.

“In the wake of the coronavirus restrictions, venues with lots of open outdoor space will be in greater demand than ever,” said Senator Addiego (D-Burlington). “This legislation will give more people the ability to enjoy these preserved pieces of land and help farmers supplement their income while they do it. This was the right thing to do before COVID but it’s become the smart thing to do post-COVID.”

The bill would require the owner or operator of the commercial farm to apply to the grantee of the preserved farmland for approval prior to holding a special occasion event.

The Farmland Preservation Program is administered by the SADC, which coordinates with County Agriculture Development Boards, municipal governments, nonprofit organizations and landowners in the development of plans that best meet the needs of individual landowners. The SADC has preserved over 2,600 farms comprising over 236,000 acres of farmland since the inception of the program.