Operating a farm in New Jersey has a unique set of challenges that farmers must contend with. With densely populated urban and sprawling suburban areas driving up the cost of land, very little land is available for widespread, high volume farming.
Under these conditions, large commercial farms are not viable. Small local farms, especially organic farms, have developed a niche with consumers who are willing to pay a higher price for local organic, fresh, farm-to-table, fully ripened, healthy food.
Organic farms require a process of caring for the environment through
farming techniques that ensure the health and well-being of the soil,
the plants and the animals that are being raised and cared for.
The certification of organic food requires farming processes that exclude the use of contamination by human or industrial waste, harmful pesticides, artificial fertilizers, ionizing radiation, and food additives. Livestock must be free of antibiotics and growth hormones.
It
includes a rigorous system of sustainable agriculture that takes time
and commitment with a significant benefit accruing to future
generations.
Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Sustainable agriculture systems are processes and techniques that are used to produce healthy and environmentally safe food.
As a minimum, these agriculture systems are used to ensure that:
While there is no widely recognized body for certification of Sustainable Food and Agriculture systems, the other components, Organic and Bio Dynamic Food and Agriculture systems have certification standards.
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