N.J. farms turning to organic farming

'A few years ago, everyone thought 'organic' was a fad," says farmer Vickie Race. "But it isn't going away; if anything it's getting bigger. People are more and more concerned about what they are putting in their mouths, and are supporting a 'buy fresh, buy local' ethic."

Race Farms in Blairstown, Warren County, is just one New Jersey farm that is reaping the benefits of organic agriculture. Honey Brook Organic Farm in Mercer County is the country's largest Community Supported Agriculture farm and its membership has increased from 50 families in 1991, to about 2000 today.

The Community Supported Agriculture model is a type of cooperative, where families buy shares in a full season of produce months before the growing season begins. Then, each week from June to November, members receive a bounty of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. Weekly visits to the farm are a fun event for kids and adults alike - "pick your own" strawberries and flowers are a big part of the shopping experience.

Bob Muth, of Muth Family Farm in Gloucester County, addresses the challenge of his gravely sandy loam soil by using lots of cover crops. Only about 20 percent of his 80 acres is in vegetables at any one time. He adds extra organic matter by spreading leaves collected by local municipalities on his fields each autumn.

Bob sees plenty to be hopeful about in the future of farming in the Garden State. He urges growers to think "out of the box" in order to make a farm business thrive, whether it's transitioning to organic production, setting up a Community Supported Agriculture program or finding new ways to sell directly to the customer.

As consumers have become more cautious about food additives, sales of organic products have grown steadily. Today, the demand for organic still outpaces supply and the U.S. increasingly imports organic foods each year. Even our federal farm subsidies recognize the importance of organic foods and are starting to support organic research and production.

The Race family has farmed conventionally for 70 years, but four years ago turned to organic products. They bought a small neighboring farm that had been experimenting with organic growing and Vickie started raising organic fruits, vegetable and herbs.

"We couldn't grow, cut and bunch the herbs fast enough," she recalls of their early success.

This year, Race Farm expanded to add a wide diversity of organic fruit, berries, vegetables, herbs, flowers and eggs. The products are sold through a local farm stand, farmer markets, and special 'pick your own' events at the farm.

"There are fewer and fewer farms in the Garden State," Vickie observes. "Anything you can do to retain the soil for agriculture is good. If I can keep healthy soil, I have a healthy foundation for farming in the future."

With New Jersey's high population density, and the increasing desire for organic products, organic farming is a great way for NJ farmers to increase their profits and also help the environment.

For a complete list of certified organic farms in the garden state, contact the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) at (609) 737-6848, nofanj@aol.com, or www.nofanj.org.

Michele S. Byers

executive director

New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Far Hills