FARMLAND PRESERVATION

Farming so transformed our landscape that by the turn of the 20th Century farm fields replaced the densely forested areas of New Jersey. In the last few decades, the agrarian lifestyle that created this landscape has largely disappeared and agriculture is undergoing a transformation from a family-owned and operated enterprise to an assortment of hobbyists and entrepreneurs. Through this transformation, the traditional land ethic, along with the definition of stewardship, has been changing. Future farming relies on maintaining a viable farmland base and the economy of commercial agriculture, and the Garden State is an important agricultural producer. However, as the bumper sticker reads, "No Farmers-No Food". There can be no agricultural economy without farmland.
Banisch Associates, Inc. has helped New Jersey communities preserve farmland with a combination of farmland acquisition, development easements and enlightened land use policy and regulations. We work with communities to develop the tools to preserve the land, retain the farmers and provide the agricultural products we all need. We help them envision a future where farmland is treated as more than a commodity waiting for housing to become its last crop.