TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has launched an updated farmland soil productivity mapping tool through a new partnership with the Rutgers Center for Urban Policy Research.
Officials said the collaboration is aimed at improving the tool’s functionality, performance and long-term support for users across the state’s agricultural community.
Originally developed in 2021 by Rowan University’s Geospatial Research Lab, the open-access platform allows users to access, view and print detailed soil reports by tax parcel. It also enables users to draw custom polygons to identify land uses such as cropland, pasture and woodland.
The tool is designed for farmers, assessors, planners and preservation professionals to better evaluate soil productivity and support farmland assessment decisions.
It integrates data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey Geographic Database, parcel data and the National Commodity Crop Productivity Index into a single online interface.
Officials said the updates will enhance efforts under the New Jersey Farmland Assessment Act of 1964, which assesses farmland and woodland based on productivity values.
“Rutgers’ enhancements strengthen the tool’s underlying data architecture and mapping functions to upgrade this important public service,” said Ed Wengryn, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture. “Our shared goal is to support equitable farmland valuation and preservation across New Jersey.”
