Sep 25, 2018

Tips to evaluate financial readiness topic for New Jersey farmers

New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher said the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) is offering a workshop to help beginning and aspiring farmers evaluate their finances in preparation for starting or expanding their farming operations.

The workshop, “Assessing Your Financial Readiness to Access Land,” will be held in cooperation with Farm Credit East at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oc. 25, in the auditorium of the New Jersey Department of Health/Agriculture building at 369 South Warren Street, Trenton.

“One of the biggest challenges for new farmers in New Jersey and nationally is the ability to afford land to farm,” said Secretary Fisher. “This workshop will help beginners understand how their personal financial situation affects their options for securing farmland, including through purchase, lease and partnerships.”

The workshop is being conducted as part of American Farmland Trust’s “Farmland for the Next Generation” project, which seeks to provide beginning farmers and ranchers with the skills they need to obtain suitable land, and to train a network of agricultural educators and service providers to help beginners gain access to land.

To register for the workshop or for more information, including an introductory video, visit www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmlink/resources/landaccessproject.html.

The SADC administers New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation and Right to Farm Programs, and promotes innovative approaches to support farm viability.