Hunterdon County Commissioners tour local farms to highlight the county’s growing agritourism industry
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – Hunterdon County Commissioners Shaun Van Doren and Susan Soloway enjoyed the beauty of Hunterdon County along with Economic Development & Tourism Director, Marc Saluk for a tour of local farms on July 13.
Stops along the tour included ‘Cabbage Throw Farm’ in Asbury, ‘Blue Moon Farm’ in Bloomsbury, and ‘Old Village Farm’ located in Milford.
All of these farms offer organic produce that is for sale locally, in addition to partnering with several farmers markets. Old Village Farm has also partnered with The Newark Urban Agriculture Cooperative, by supplying them with unique produce that their urban farmers are not growing on a larger scale.
Some of the farms that were visited, participate in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a system in which consumers and farmers work together on behalf of each other, sharing costs and supporting the farms harvest. Membership in the CSA is based on shares of the produce and its annual yield.
“It was great to visit each of these farms today and learn more about the ongoing success and devotion of these farmers, and their unique contribution to agritourism. Each of these farms utilizes a system of organic farming assuring that no herbicides, pesticides, or artificial fertilizers are ever used in the growing of their crops. Healthy soil means healthy food,” Van Doren said.
The farms implement a detailed plan of the type and varieties of crops to be grown, projected yield, and length of the season each crop will be available. Catering to the tastes of the local communities, each of the farms offer a variety of produce including blueberries, strawberries, peppers, blackberries, lettuce, fresh herbs, and garlic.
“Today was a beautiful day to be out exploring the open space farmland in our County. I am thoroughly impressed by the hard work and dedication of these farmers. Not only are these farms growing an abundance of fresh produce, but they are additionally making contributions to our ecotourism initiative. Blue Moon Farm, offers a small cottage rental through Airbnb and the renting of a small barn on the property for social gatherings and parties,” Soloway said.
