Farmer to tend West Amwell-owned land

Bob Fulper will farm a 40-acre tract and mow and maintain 20 acres by the municipal building at 150 Rocktown-Lambertville Road.

By: Concetta Benuzzi-Volpe
   WEST AMWELL — Local farmer Rob Fulper has signed on to cultivate the township farm.
   Officials say the five-year municipal agreement that commenced May 8 and runs through May 7, 2008, will be an even swap for land use and supplied services, and no money will be exchanged.
   Mr. Fulper has agreed to tend the municipally owned property at 150 Rocktown-Lambertville Road by nurturing the 40-acre tillable tract and by mowing and maintaining 20 acres by the municipal building, according to Township Clerk Betty Jane Hunt.
   Ms. Hunt said the township had been seeking farmers to maintain the four fields by keeping them open and productive when Mr. Fulper stepped forward to lend a hand, saying he wanted to ensure the farmland did not become barren.
   Ms. Hunt said the Township Committee is very happy about the arrangement.
   "Rob is just a good guy who cares about the land," Ms. Hunt said.
   Mr. Fulper plans to harvest the hay already planted and further assess the land after that process is complete.
   In an interview May 15, the farmer spoke about the agreement and his reason for signing on.
   "There is something inside of me that says if there’s land that can be productive you should keep it productive," Mr. Fulper said. "We didn’t want the land to go to waste. Logistically it’s close to us, and that’s an important advantage."
   As part of the agreement, Fulper Farms LLC agreed to assess the grass growing in three of the township’s four open fields and to harvest it if acceptable. The fourth field, to the right of the municipal building, lies in a wetland area that only can be mowed and maintained, according to Mr. Fulper.
   "We already fertilized the hay and anticipate harvesting the crop," he said. "We hope it’s good enough to sell into the horse market."
   If after assessment, the grass isn’t considered an adequate crop to maintain, Mr. Fulper agreed to rotate several crops seasonally.
   "The plan will most likely include a hay, wheat, corn or possibly soybean seasonal rotation," the farmer said. "After all, from a farming perspective, rotation is good for the soil."
   Mr. Fulper was unsure how productive the three tillable fields might be currently, but plans to test the soil’s PH and fertility and work hard at getting the land into shape.
   "The fields haven’t been under any real serious fertility program that I’m aware of so it might take us a few years to bring the soil up to par," Mr. Fulper said. "We know where we need the PH to be so if it needs volume we would lime it, and if the fertility is low, we would fertilize it and build it up over time."
   Building the soil is a gradual process, according to Mr. Fulper.
   "Fertilizer is expensive, and it can’t be done all at once," he said. "You need to add more fertilizer than your crop takes out each year."
   Mr. Fulper and his wife, Cindy, reside at 281 Rocktown-Lambertville Road with four children ranging in age from 8 to 15.
   Mr. Fulper, whose family has been part of the West Amwell farming community since 1906, farms 1,200 acres. Daily business at Fulper Farms includes dairy, hay and grain sales.