By: Cara Latham
Local farmer Neil Robson’s contributions to fighting hunger will be remembered, as Gov. Jon Corzine announced a new award in his name this week.
Gov. Corzine, who spoke at the Robson Farm in North Hanover on Monday, announced the establishment of the annual Neil Robson Farmers Fighting Hunger Award, which will recognize farmers who make outstanding contributions to the fight against hunger by providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the needy.
Mr. Robson, 48, a third generation farmer in the North Hanover area who farmed 1,200 acres of land, died Sept. 25 of a heart attack.
"The reason for the award is to honor and support the farmers that are helping to fight hunger in New Jersey, and they do so in such a quiet way," said public information officer Lynne Richmond, of the state Department of Agriculture. "We want to let them know that they should keep up the good work and follow the example of Neil Robson, who was so generous during the course of his lifetime. Even though he has passed away, I believe his family wants to continue the tradition of giving to the hungry."
Mr. Robson was a supporter of the state’s Farmers Against Hunger Program, in which farmers would let groups come into already-picked fields to take whatever produce they could gather to give to food banks. In addition to the Robson Farm Market on Route 537 in Wrightstown, Mr. Robson also had stands in Vincentown and Columbus.
At the farm Monday, Gov. Corzine also announced that New Jersey has surpassed the 150,000-acre milestone for preserved farmland. Mr. Robson’s family’s 500-acre farm is among the land permanently preserved.
Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus acknowledged that the efforts of farmers such as Neil Robson "strengthen the long-standing roots of agriculture" in their own communities and in those they serve.
Mr. Robson also was involved in the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Farm Bureau and the Burlington County Agricultural Board. He and his wife, Jean, were the proprietors of Robson Farm and Greenhouses in North Hanover and Robson’s Farm Markets in Springfield, Southampton and North Hanover.
According to the state Department of Agriculture, Mr. Robson also operated a stand at the West Windsor Farmers Market on Saturdays and donated about 800 pounds of produce weekly to the Farmers Against Hunger Program. The produce was delivered to the Rescue Mission and Galilee Church in Trenton. In 2005, he donated 20,375 pounds to the program.

