New Jersey presents special challenges to farmers

Farmers in New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the nation, say the biggest problem they face is interference from nonfarmers. They voted it their No. 1 issue at the 2017 New Jersey Farm Bureau annual meeting. Farmers also need continual agricultural research and professional education, which they get from county agricultural agents through the Rutgers Cooperative Extension program, Furey said. “Family farms can’t afford to do their own research, but we are collectively responsible for the food supply, so we need constant innovation to stay current,” Furey said. That takes state funding, which has not increased for 10 years.