Comedian and former Daily Show host Jon Stewart is seeking approval to open a farm sanctuary in Colts Neck. Stewart’s JTS Land Trust recently signed a contract to purchase the historic Hockhockson Farm with plans to build an educational center that would be open to the public.
The first step of the approval process was to obtain a commercial farm certification under the state’s Right to Farm Act, which the Monmouth Agriculture Board granted earlier this month. The Board will consider Stewart’s concept for the farm next month.
By obtaining a commercial farm certification, the JTS Land Trust will have more freedom to operate without running afoul of local land use ordinances . The New Jersey Right to Farm Act protects commercial farmers from public and private nuisance actions as well as unduly restrictive municipal regulations.
To be eligible for protection under the statute, a farm must qualify as a commercial farm.
An operation larger than five acres must annually engage in agricultural or horticultural production worth at least $2,500 and be eligible for differential property taxation under Farmland Assessment. For farms smaller than five acres, the annual production requirement is a minimum of $50,000 and the farm must satisfy eligibility requirements for farmland assessment, other than the farm-size requirement. A commercial farm may comprise multiple parcels, whether contiguous or non-contiguous, provided they are operated together as a single enterprise.
In addition, a New Jersey farm seeking commercial certification must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Once a farm satisfies the eligibility criteria, it may be granted certain protections under the Right to Farm Act for the following activities:
The Right to Farm Act also contains dispute resolution mechanisms. An individual or municipality aggrieved by the operation of a commercial farm must file a complaint with the County Agriculture Development Board (CADB) prior to filing an action in court. CADB decisions may be appealed to SADC and then to the New Jersey Superior Court.
Comedian and former Daily Show host Jon Stewart is seeking approval to open a farm sanctuary in Colts Neck. Stewart’s JTS Land Trust recently signed a contract to purchase the historic Hockhockson Farm with plans to build an educational center that would be open to the public.
The first step of the approval process was to obtain a commercial farm certification under the state’s Right to Farm Act, which the Monmouth Agriculture Board granted earlier this month. The Board will consider Stewart’s concept for the farm next month.
By obtaining a commercial farm certification, the JTS Land Trust will have more freedom to operate without running afoul of local land use ordinances . The New Jersey Right to Farm Act protects commercial farmers from public and private nuisance actions as well as unduly restrictive municipal regulations.
To be eligible for protection under the statute, a farm must qualify as a commercial farm.
An operation larger than five acres must annually engage in agricultural or horticultural production worth at least $2,500 and be eligible for differential property taxation under Farmland Assessment. For farms smaller than five acres, the annual production requirement is a minimum of $50,000 and the farm must satisfy eligibility requirements for farmland assessment, other than the farm-size requirement. A commercial farm may comprise multiple parcels, whether contiguous or non-contiguous, provided they are operated together as a single enterprise.
In addition, a New Jersey farm seeking commercial certification must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Once a farm satisfies the eligibility criteria, it may be granted certain protections under the Right to Farm Act for the following activities:
The Right to Farm Act also contains dispute resolution mechanisms. An individual or municipality aggrieved by the operation of a commercial farm must file a complaint with the County Agriculture Development Board (CADB) prior to filing an action in court. CADB decisions may be appealed to SADC and then to the New Jersey Superior Court.
