All New Jersey farmers are invited to attend this Farmer Resource Fair which will feature an array of agricultural service providers. In-between a light breakfast and a hearty lunch, there will be engaging presentations and opportunities to visit with service providers at their table displays. The program schedule, as well as a preliminary list of service providers who’ve confirmed their attendance, is included below.
The event will be held on Friday, April 11, 2025 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm at the Ted Blum 4-H Center located at 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807.
Click here to register for this free event (registration is required). Please register by April 1, 2025.
This collaborative event is being organized by Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, Somerset County Agriculture Development Board, and the State Agriculture Development Committee Next Gen Program. We hope you will join us!
8:30 am – 9:00 am Pastries, fruit, coffee
9:00 am – 9:05 am Welcome and introductions
9:05 am – 9:25 am Next Gen Farmer Program Update
- Brendon Pearsall, Next-Gen Farmer Senior Coordinator
- Jessica Brandeisky, Next-Gen Farmer Asst. Coordinator
- NJ State Agriculture Development Committee
9:25 am – 9:45 am Right to Farm Overview
- Katelyn Katzer, Farmland Preservation – SCADB Manager
- Somerset County Department of Engineering and Planning
9:45 am – 10:00 am Rutgers Cooperative Extension
- Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent
- RCE-Somerset County
10:00 am – 10:30 am Industry and Service Provider Lightning Introductions
10:30 am – 10:50 am Networking break, visit tables
10:50 am – 11:30 am United States Department of Agriculture Programs
- Tairi Melchiore, Natural Resource Conservation Service
- Shannon Barton, Farm Service Agency
11:30 am – 12:00 pm Pesticide Safety Update: Exposure, Recordkeeping, and Storage
- Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent
- RCE-Somerset County
- 1 CORE pesticide recertification credit expected
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Networking Lunch
Confirmed service providers: Rutgers Beginner Farmer Training Program, NOFA-NJ, Food Shed Alliance, NJ Food Democracy Collaborative, City Green, NJDA Jersey Fresh, NJDA Farm-to-School, NJDA Next Gen Farmer Program, NJDA Grants Program, USDA NRCS, USDA FSA, USDA Rural Development, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Somerset County Agricultural Development Board.
