New York & New Jersey Region

Agriculture is a critical part of both New York and New Jersey’s food system and economy, providing a diverse array of food and fiber to locals throughout the two states. Beyond fueling jobs and feeding communities, agriculture is also a vital component of addressing climate change.

In NY and NJ, more and more, the face of agriculture is changing, becoming more diverse in race, gender, and background, with farmers coming from all reaches of the globe. Farmers in our region have a passion for the land and what they grow or raise, and this can be seen throughout the area in the crop production and animal husbandry practices that support resiliency and the long-term health of our planet.

American Farmland Trust is working tirelessly to support farmers in our region through programs that address everything from soil health, farmland access and transfer, and issues specifically faced by women in agriculture, to promoting farm to school, smart solar, and advocacy for policies and practices that help save the land that sustains us.

New Jersey

In 2024, the New York region was officially expanded to include work in New Jersey. We added two new NJ-based staff who are forwarding our mission of protecting farmland, keeping farmers on the land, and promoting sound agricultural practices.

Our growth into New Jersey has been a gradual and thoughtful process, building upon over 30 years of work American Farmland Trust has done in the New York region since we first opened a field office in Saratoga Springs. New Jersey has always been an important neighbor, sharing many of the challenges our New York farms face, from development pressure, farms in generational transition, and difficulty remaining viable. We also share similar opportunities. Aptly called the “Garden State,” New Jersey has double the national average in soils deemed “nationally significant” for long-term food production and is a major supplier of fresh produce and other agricultural products to New York City. New Jersey has strongly committed to farmland protection and has already protected a third of its farmland. Despite these efforts, according to AFT's Farms Under Threat research, the state is on track to lose an additional 125,000 acres by 2040, putting New Jersey in the top three states for farmland loss.