NJ Agriculture Secretary cites farmland preservation gains, urges cross‑agency coordination
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Summary
Secretary Ed Wingren told the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee the state has doubled farmland preservation interest after changing SADC valuation rules and urged coordination across agencies on food distribution, One Health and agrivoltaics pilots.
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wingren told the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee the Department of Agriculture is seeing renewed interest in preserving farmland after recent changes to valuation and funding practices.
Wingren, appearing as the department’s chief representative, said the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC) altered how it values natural resources on farms—crediting woodlands and wetlands rather than penalizing them—which increased average offers roughly 35 percent and pushed purchases closer to 80–85 percent of appraised value. He said applications rose from about 50 in 2023 to roughly 120 in 2025 and the department aims to close on 85 applications this year.
"We don't have a food supply problem. We have a food distribution problem," Wingren said, arguing the department’s recent expansion into direct consumer programs—such as summer EBT—reflects a shift from institutionally oriented food delivery toward addressing distribution and access.
The secretary reviewed the department’s five divisions—food and nutrition, plant health, animal health, agricultural and natural resources, and markets—and described several initiatives: a partnership with Rowan University to address large‑animal veterinarian shortages through internships; a One Health office to coordinate animal, environmental and human health responses (citing avian influenza as an example); and support for aquaculture through seed research and streamlined permitting. He also highlighted agrivoltaics as a potential new farm revenue stream and said researchers at Rutgers are helping to evaluate farm‑scale projects.
Committee members pressed the secretary on workforce issues for large‑animal veterinarians and the department’s coordination with the Department of Health and DEP on permitting and inspections. Wingren described ongoing efforts to streamline county and municipal processes for Right to Farm complaints and SADC closings and said technical and operational support will continue to be important for farm viability.
The committee did not take formal votes. Wingren’s presentation framed the department’s immediate priorities as preserving working farmland, improving market access for growers and strengthening cross‑agency coordination to reduce regulatory friction.