Monroe to push for farmland preservation

   MONROE — Township hopes to persuade farmers for preserve land.

By: Leon Tovey
   MONROE — Joe Montanti is looking for a few good farmers.
   The township’s environmental protection manager wants to see more of the township’s remaining farmland permanently protected from development. To that end, Mr. Montanti hopes to convince farmers to join the state Farmland Preservation Program. He’ll be holding an information session on just that at the Municipal Building at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
   Recently, the 28.6-acre Budrewicz farm on Spotswood-Gravel Hill Road became the seventh township farm to join the program, under which farmers donate or sell the development rights on their land and continue farming it. The land then becomes deed-restricted; it can be sold, but not developed for purposes other than agriculture.
   Mr. Montanti said there are still 285 farmers — with a total of around 5,000 acres — in the township that may be eligible to take part in the program.
   In order to pique their interest, Mr. Montanti sent letters last week to each of the landowners inviting them to the information session, at which Tim Brill from the state Agriculture Development Board and Linda Busch from the Middlesex County Agriculture Development Board will present an overview of the program. Mr. Montanti said two property owners have expressed interest since he sent out the letters.
   "Who we’re looking for, and who this program is really designed to work for, is people who don’t want to move, don’t want to sell to developers, but who would like a nice chunk of change," Mr. Montanti said.
   The size of that chunk of change is based on the difference between what a developer would pay for a piece of property and what it is worth for agriculture.
   In the Budrewicz family’s case, the state, county and township kicked in a total of $644,422.50 for the development rights for the farm. While developers are often willing to pay a great deal more for buildable land, Mr. Montanti said, the advantage of the program is that it allows residents to keep their farms and the township to maintain its rural character.
   For more information on the program, contact Mr. Montanti at (732) 521-4400. Farm owners interested in the program can contact Ms. Busch at (732) 745-4014.