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UPPER FREEHOLD: Two local farmers join state agriculture board

   TRENTON — Upper Freehold hay and grain farmer Martin Bullock and Chesterfield fruit and vegetable grower Marilyn Russo were sworn in as members of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture at the panel’s reorganization meeting last week.
   Mr. Bullock operates Bullock Farms on Emley’s Hill Road in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold with his brother, Rick, their wives and their children. Ms. Russo runs the 300-acre Russo’s Orchard Lane Farm in Chesterfield with her husband, Nicholas, and their son, Michael.
   ”Martin Bullock and Marilyn Russo’s families have been farming in New Jersey for generations,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher in a news release last week. “With their vast knowledge and leadership experience, they are fabulous additions to the state board, which sets policy for agriculture.”
   Both Mr. Bullock and Ms. Russo were selected for the positions at the January 2012 State Agricultural Convention, then nominated by Gov. Chris Christie and confirmed by the state Senate. Both officially took their seats during the agriculture board’s Aug. 22 reorganization meeting in Easthampton.
   Also during the reorganization meeting, James Giamarese, an East Brunswick vegetable farmer, was selected to serve as board president and Lewis J. DeEugenio Jr., a Glassboro fruit farmer, as vice president.
   Mr. Bullock’s 100-acre farm in Upper Freehold has been in the family since 1860. The Bullocks also rent land in Ocean and Burlington counties. They grow 200 acres of soybeans, 150 acres of corn, 40 acres of wheat, 40 acres of pumpkins, gourds and winter squash and 60 acres of rye.
   During the winter, they have a choose-and-cut Christmas tree operation, also selling wreaths, blankets and gifts. Last season, the farm began growing heirloom tomatoes with plans to expand to other vegetables.
   A graduate of Allentown High School, Mr. Bullock has been an active leader in the agricultural industry, serving as an officer on the Monmouth County Board of Agriculture since 1985 and the county Agricultural Development Board since 2002. He serves as a director for the New Jersey Grain and Forage Council and Farmers Brokerage and Supply.
   Mr. Bullock has held positions on the New Jersey Soybean Board and Mid-Atlantic Soybean Board and served as a supervisor for the Freehold Soil Conservation District.
   The Russo family has been farming in New Jersey since 1960, establishing Russo’s Orchard Lane Farm in Chesterfield in the 1970s. The 300-acre farm has a seasonal farm market and pick-your-own fruits and vegetables and offers educational tours and birthday parties. Its fall activities include a corn maze, pumpkin picking and hayrides. The Russos sell their produce at the Trenton Farmers Market, which Nicholas’ grandfather, Anthony, helped to establish.
   Ms. Russo also has taken a leadership role in her community. She is a member of the Burlington County Board of Agriculture and the New Jersey Farm Bureau and Burlington County Farm Bureau’s Women’s Committees. She served with the Burlington County Farm Fair for many years and was on the Rutgers Board of Managers. She also was a Northern Burlington Regional High School Board of Education member, serving as president from 1990 to 1992. Ms. Russo is a graduate of Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly.
   The State Board of Agriculture, comprising eight members, is the policy-making body of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Its members serve for four years with two members replaced each year. By law, at least four of its members must represent the top commodity groups in the state. Members serve without salary, but may be reimbursed for expenses.