Burlington Review

The Burlington County Commissioners have initiated steps to protect nearly 1,200 acres of the county’s remaining farmland from future development. On Wednesday, the Commissioners voted to give preliminary approval for nine farms to enter the Burlington County Farmland Preservation Program. The County will now obtain appraisals to purchase the development rights for these farms and restrict them by deed to remain in agriculture. Farmers will continue to retain ownership of their land.

If agreements are finalized with all nine farms, a total of 1,196 acres of farmland would be preserved across Chesterfield, North Hanover, Mansfield, Pemberton, Tabernacle, and Southampton.

“Burlington County already ranks No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 7 nationally with more than 63,000 acres of preserved farmland but our County continues to aggressively target our county’s remaining open space,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “Preserving farms helps keep agriculture a strong and viable industry in our county. It also keeps land in agriculture and guards against overdevelopment that threatens our local landscapes and quality of life, so we’re excited to move forward with protecting these nine farms.”

The farms that received preliminary approval are:

- Lustgarten farm in North Hanover: 162 acres

- Doyle Farm in Southampton: 143 acres

- Bright View Farm in Chesterfield and Mansfield: 254 acres

- Ruth Glunt and Mary Powell Farm in Tabernacle: 87 acres

- Reid Sod Farm in North Hanover: 268 acres

- Edward Allen Farm in Pemberton Township: 51 acres

- Cheung Farm in Southampton: 55 acres

- Kenron Farm in Southampton: 155 acres

- Thomas Allen Farm in Southampton: 21 acres

All nine farms qualify for state funding that will cover up to 60% of the preservation costs. Additionally, six properties are eligible for federal funding from the U.S. Department of Defense because they fall within a five-mile buffer zone around Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

The buffer zone is significant as it helps minimize security issues immediately outside the base while also limiting development and land use conflicts nearby. Since 2008, the County has preserved more than 2,300 acres within this buffer zone.

The current approval marks the highest number since ten farms qualified for preservation back in 2016 after responding to letters of interest from the County.

“Burlington County residents overwhelmingly support keeping farming strong and vibrant, and it’s encouraging to see that interest in our preservation program is increasing among our local farmers,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “Local municipalities may control land use and zoning, but our County is committed to preserving as much eligible farmland as possible. Doing so will ensure the land remains agricultural and protected from overdevelopment that can impact both our environment and residents' quality of life. The preservation program benefits both farmers and county residents.”