Auctions to be held May 20
By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher has announced that the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) will hold public auctions to sell 11 preserved farms.
Two of the farms are in West Amwell Township. The auctions will be held May 20 at 11 a.m. at the New Jersey Water Supply Authority office, Route 31, Clinton.
The farms are:
— Former Case farm, 87 acres, minimum bid $700,350. The farm is located on the north side of Route 179. According to the SADC Web site, a farm tour will be held at 11:30 a.m. on April 8.
— Former Holcombe Farm, 73 acres, minimum bid $657,000. The farm is located on the corner of Mill Road and Route 179. A farm tour will be held at 12:30 p.m. on April 8.
”The SADC was very pleased the previous owners made the decision to sell their farms to us so we could permanently protect them and ensure they remain in agricultural production,” said Secretary Fisher, who chairs the SADC.
”We look forward to returning these newly preserved farms to private ownership through public auctions that offer farmers a great opportunity to purchase farmland to start or expand their agricultural operations.”
Farmland most commonly is preserved through the sale of development rights, in which landowners retain ownership of the land, but give up the right to develop it for anything other than agricultural uses.
Some landowners, however, want to sell their farmland outright. The SADC typically makes several purchases from willing landowners each year. It then resells the farms at public auctions with deed restrictions permanently protecting the land for agricultural uses.
In addition to ensuring permanent protection of the land, this method of preservation also helps make farmland available at more affordable prices. Because resale prices reflect only farm value, not development value, farmers often are able to afford to purchase preserved farmland at auction to begin or expand their agricultural operations.
More information on the farms and bidding procedures can be obtained on the SADC’s Web site at www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc or by calling (609) 984-2504.
The State Agriculture Development Committee administers the state Farmland Preservation Program. To date, more than 1,800 farms covering more than 175,000 acres have been permanently preserved statewide.

