By: Gwen Runkle
WEST WINDSOR The Township Council passed a resolution Monday night extending the time period of leases for farmers who farm township-owned property from one year to five years.
The resolution passed by a 3-2 vote, with Councilwoman Jackie Alberts and Council President Alison Miller voting against it.
Of the 1,480 acres of open space the township owns, 966 acres are leased to four farming operations Rustin Farms, Farmdale Farms, Everett Brothers LLC and White Farms Inc. The township collects approximately $45,000 in rent, said Sam Surtees, director of land use and development.
"When we buy open space we lease the land to farmers until and if we ever decide we want to develop the land for recreation," Mr. Surtees said. A clause in the lease agreement states that the township has to notify the farmer six months prior to developing it for recreation, he added.
Last month, the township Agricultural Advisory Committee suggested the council consider changing to a five-year lease agreement because it would allow the farmers to better plan for future crops and be able to afford necessary expenses.
"They are putting in a lot of money for lime, fertilizers, equipment and diesel fuel to run those vehicles, not to mention the time. If they don’t know if they’ll have a lease the following year, they could be expending a lot of money for nothing," Mr. Surtees said.
"Depending on what crops are being planted the farmers may need to start adding nutrients to the soil two or three years in advance as well," he added.
Ms. Alberts and Ms. Miller opposed the lease agreement Monday night for several reasons.
Ms. Alberts was concerned that the township could lose funding for land purchased with state Green Acres money.
"There’s a competing public purpose," she said. "When property is bought with state Green Acres money, we need to allow public access. Farming it could jeopardize our funding."
But Steve Jany of Rustin Farms stressed that he and other farmers would be more than willing to work with the township to develop trails or whatever else would be needed to comply with Green Acres requirements.
Ms. Miller said she was concerned with whether continuing to farm was the best way to protect area wildlife.
"A lot of the farmland in West Windsor is now owned by the township. I would like to see it fulfill the vision of the greenbelt as a wildlife corridor," Ms. Miller said.
"It’s wonderful to see how farmlands keep West Windsor green, but I don’t see that as greenbelt."
Currently, greenbelt is considered woodland that straddles major streams, Mr. Surtees said. An ordinance under review by the township Planning Board expands this definition to include wetlands, wetland buffers, upland forest, 100-year flood plains and listed overland connectors, Ms. Alberts said.
Ms. Miller said these new definitions expanded the amount of greenbelt in the township, and farming in any of those areas would defeat the purpose of the greenbelt in providing linked areas for wildlife to live.
"But wildlife doesn’t know where the greenbelt is," Mr. Surtees said. "A wildlife corridor could be considered all of the 966 acres that are preserved. Some animals live in the meadowland and some in the crop fields."
Council members Kristin Appelget, Charlie Morgan and Rae Roeder agreed.
"This is a definitional issue. I personally consider farmland greenbelt, whether that’s a plowed field or a field planted with winter wheat. Sam has made a good point that animals live in the farm fields as well," Ms. Appelget said.
"Farmland is greenbelt," Mr. Morgan said. "We need to work harder in finding what our priorities are in protecting open space."
Ms. Roeder said the township also needed to preserve the tradition of farming.
"I am glad to see that so much farmland has been preserved. Our ultimate goal should be to keep the land as farms for as long as possible," she said.

