The family received a National Sustainability Award for Outstanding Achievement in Renewable Energy
By Ruth Luse, Managing Editor
WEST AMWELL — The Fulper family is hosting a Breakfast on the Farm on June 8, with the goal of spotlighting their energy-efficient practices.
The family received a formal letter in April, letting them know they had received a National Sustainability Award for Outstanding Achievement in Renewable Energy. The award was given by the U.S. Center for Dairy Innovation, said a spokesman.
Saturday’s event will celebrate the Fulpers’ renewable energy efforts with activities and entertainment for all ages; a fresh breakfast, cooking demonstration by a celebrity chef, live country music by Gunpowder Falls, hayrides, farm tours, petting zoo, face-painting and more.
Saturday’s event will run from 9-11:30 a.m. and is open to the public. Ticket costs are: Adults, $15 (ages 13 and up); children, $12 (ages 3-12); under 3, free.
As a fifth-generation business, Fulper Farms was operating “green” before sustainability became a buzzword.
”With nearly a century of farming experience and wisdom, the Fulpers are proud to produce some of New Jersey’s highest quality milk and other dairy products, while also successfully reducing their operation’s carbon footprint,” said a spokesman.
”They have “paved the way for greener dairy farm practices. Their move to establish renewable solar energy systems, soil conservation methods, and nutrient recycling plans ensures the dairy’s continued success,” the spokesman added.
The award (s) recognizes the ongoing efforts of dairy businesses like Fulper Farms for practices that advance the industry’s commitment to healthy products, healthy communities, and a healthy planet. Their practices can be replicated by dairy farms and businesses nationwide to demonstrate to the public that wholesome, nutrient-rich dairy products are produced responsibly.
Educating the public about where their dairy products come from and their commitment to the environment are top priorities for Fulper Farms, managed by Robert Fulper II and Fred Fulper.
Environmentally friendly activities — including soil conservation, crop rotation, and farmland preservation — have been a part of the operation’s farming philosophy from the dairy’s origin in 1909.
Home to 300 Holstein cows and 1,200 acres of land, the fifth generation of the Fulper Family continues to build on the strong tradition of stewardship that began when Mary Fulper started the dairy with just one cow.
As operating costs continued to rise, the Fulpers searched for ways to advance their environmental responsibility and improve their bottom line. Recently, they installed a solar energy system to increase energy efficiency, sustainability, and revenue, while decreasing the farm’s carbon footprint and utility costs. Installed in 2011, the freestanding, ground-mounted system creates 500 kWh daily — enough to cover all of the operation’s electricity needs, equivalent to powering approximately 100 homes. The Fulpers are committed to building on their history of sustainability at the farm. According to the family, these efforts are just setting the stage for the next chapter in the family’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, the spokesman said.
As a way to connect with the community, Breanna Fulper introduced an agritourism business to the farm, It is Fulper Family Farmstead and it is thriving.
Activities such as farm tours, birthday parties, and summer camps are a few ways they educate the community about agriculture and the dairy industry and allow consumers to see firsthand the farm’s care and love for the animals.
The efficiencies of the solar energy system also are shared with visitors at these events.
If interested in visiting Fulper Farms, area residents can join them at the June 8 breakfast,
For more information on their farm practices, dairy products, events, summer camps, tours and birthday parties, call 609-651-5991, [email protected], www.fulperfarms.com, or check them out on Facebook.