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Can anyone recall New Jersey as being known by something other than “The Garden State”. In all but the most metropolitan areas of our state, you need not go far to pass by a farm or garden. Some of them are quite small and others stretch to the horizon. Nowhere in New Jersey is our agricultural heritage more pervasive than in Salem County, host to well over 20,000 acres of preserved farmland. Oddly enough though, the northwestern part of Salem County where mostly vegetable crops are grown had slipped through the cracks in the Farmland Preservation Program. Planning for future development and a failure to recognize the uniquely suitable qualities of lighter, well-drained soils for vegetable production combined to leave Oldmans and Carneys Point Townships sidelined from farmland preservation.
This situation prevailed until 2005 when Carneys Point Township and Salem County acted to expand the County Agricultural Development Area (ADA) into Carneys Point Township, enabling farms within the expanded ADA to qualify for farmland preservation funding. By that year's end, the Sassi Farm was preserved, culminating six years of dogged persistence on the part of the owners. Carneys Point now had 85 acres of preserved farmland and no lack of farmers or farmland owners interested in preservation, but momentum for more preservation was slow to gather.
No further movement in farmland preservation would come to Carneys Point until the South Jersey Land and Water Trust, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC), the Federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program (FRPP), and the Township of Carneys Point joined forces to preserve the Yetneck (76 acres) and DiGregorio (68 acres) Farms. In 2008, the SADC awarded a grant for 50% funding to the South Jersey Land and Water Trust under their non-profit program, specifically to preserve the DiGregorio and Yetneck Farms. The Yetneck Farm is 76 acres adjacent to the already preserved Sassi Farm, and the DiGregorio Farm is 66 acres contiguous with the Yetneck Farm. Rosemary Yetneck and Sam DiGregorio, Jr. are strong advocates of preservation, and both had long ongoing efforts underway to preserve their farms. Rosemary applied for farmland preservation in 2003 and it was nearly twelve years ago that Sam first applied for preservation under the county easement program.
The SADC grant positioned the Trust to see these farm owners finally reach their goal of preservation, albeit with challenges. Funds were needed to match the 50% SADC grant. These funds were granted to the Trust through the Federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program, which provides grants of up to 50% funding for farmland preservation. Additional funds were needed to cover the “soft costs” associated with the project: appraisals, surveys and title work. Carneys Point Township stepped in to cover these costs out of their municipal open space preservation fund. Finally, New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF), which has partnered and supported SJLWT projects for many years, once again provided the staff and technical assistance to make this project a success. Through these preservation partnership efforts, two farm-family legacies will now continue on.
Rosemary Yetneck grew up on the farm working alongside her parents. Her farm is a longtime family legacy. Rosemary's father was one of eleven children and purchased the farm from his parents. They were first generation immigrants who settled in Carneys Point in the Depression Era to make a life of farming in their new country. Cancer claimed her father at mid-life and her mother passed on not much later, at which time Rosemary inherited the farm. Rosemary and her husband maintain an impressive garden, and Maugeri Brothers from Woolwich Township operate the farm, growing peppers this season on the entire acreage under drip irrigation.
Sam's story is yet another family legacy. He grew up working alongside his parents on a farm that was also purchased from his grandparents. Samuel DiGregorio, Sr. operated a successful auto service shop as well as the farm, and the younger Sam learned the mechanic's trade as well as farming from his father. It was about thirty years ago that Sam purchased his own 66 acre farm, which historically had been owned by his great uncle. He started out farming with his father, and today grows cilantro, zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers and pickles under drip irrigation. He also continues the mechanic trade at his father’s garage.
The Trust and its partners can be proud that through their efforts these two family legacies will continue in perpetuity. Many thanks and a “well done” to all involved.
