Monday - March 31, 2008
NJ plans to reduce government: farmers complain
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)—New Jersey farmers are starting to worry that their state lawmakers are about to take the garden out of the Garden State.
Gov. Jon Corzine is proposing to make New Jersey the third state without a Department of Agriculture as he looks to slash spending amid chronic state budget problems.
Some argue the move will chase away farmers who persevered for generations while New Jersey grew into the nation’s most densely populated state.
His administration contends the move would save $4 million by having the environmental protection and health departments take over the agriculture department’s functions.
Those savings would hardly put a dent in the state’s $33 billion budget and “would send the worst kind of signal,” said Mary Jo Herbert of the Hopewell Heritage Farm.
“I am a third-generation farmer and I, perhaps naively, believed that our state government was committed to preserving our farming heritage,” she said.
About 10,000 farms work 790,000 acres in New Jersey. They generate about $924 million per year and provide nearly 12 percent of the state’s jobs.
That’s an average of 79 acres per farm. That’s a square plot of land 619 yards on a side, about 1/9 of a square mile. Not exactly what I’d call big farms. But it includes ex-governor Christie Whitman, who plants hay in her big front yard, thereby getting a major tax break. But these 10,000 folks have their own personal branch of the state government, which is involved in almost every aspect of their economic life.
Farmer John Hauser said the proposal has ramifications that far outweigh any budgetary benefits. “Of far greater value is the predictable loss of jobs, revenue, reinvestment by individual farmers in their operations, scenic vistas and, in general, quality of life for New Jersey’s citizens,” he said.
So am I reading this right? Without a special, nearly useless, government department all their own, all the farmers are going to lose their jobs. Which will force them, just force them, to sell their little plots of land to developers for millions of dollars.
Hey, you know, I support farmers. I’m really glad that we have people willing to raise food for the rest of us. But there’s a part of me that’s just sick to death of their never ending complaining. Too hot? The farmers complain. Too cold? The farmers complain. Too dry? The farmers complain. Too wet? The farmers complain. Not enough handouts from the government? The farmers complain. They’re getting paid to not grow stuff? The farmers complain. The price supports aren’t large enough? The farmers complain. So now they might have an opportunity to get out from under the yoke of total government control, even if it’s only for a little while. So what do they do? The farmers complain.
There is a farm just over the hill from me. Well, I probably should call it a ranch, because they raise cattle. About 2 or 3 dozen head. And that’s one of the larger farms around here, much bigger than the microscopic Hopewell Heritage Farm down the road a couple miles in Titusville, where they “farm” racehorses.
Posted by Drew458
on 03/31/2008 at 05:27 PM
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
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