For Land's Sake! (1970?)

[Music] not so very long ago this was New Jersey Farmland this was the Garden State here vegetables grew Here Fruit ripened in Orchards here in the richness of the earth man turned for food this too was Farmland where milk cows grazed on Broad Green Pastures and this was a fertile Southern New Jersey field where rain soaked softly into loose soil to refill Water Supplies Water Supplies fields and Orchards these are threatened in New Jersey unless all of us farmers and non-farmers alike recognize and resist the [Music] Peril nothing nothing can be preserved without an understanding of what is to be saved let's look at agriculture in the Garden State is it worth the [Music] saving farming remains a significant part of New Jersey's economic and aesthetic figure more than 1 million Acres about 1/5 of all the state's land is still being farmed this is impressive yet New Jersey loses one Farm every other day to Industry homes or shopping centers what of the 1 million Acres of New Jersey Farmland that remain pause to see the incredible diversity of the garden State's [Music] Farms milk cows continue to graze on Green Pastures in several northern and southern counties although in some pastures beef cattle have replaced the milk cows other open pasture land supports a revived New Jersey farm Pursuit the raising of fine horses for private use and for the state's several Thor Breer trotting tracks New Jersey today has many more horses than were here 75 years ago New Jersey is consistently near the top among on all states in the quantity and quality of vegetables grown [Music] asparagus lettuce Peppers potatoes beans and dozens of others that make up New Jersey vegetable harvests vegetable fields in Southern New Jersey are so broad that unique machines are needed to speed vegetables from fi field to dining room [Music] tables Southern New Jersey fields are famed for tomatoes canaries in several towns use great quantities for ketsup chili sauce soup and Other Tomato products no State could claim to be the Garden State without fine fruit New Jersey is persistently in the top 10 states in harvesting apples peaches and other Orchard fruits and the state's blueberry plantations give New Jersey leadership in that summer fruit chickens and eggs are still important parts of the state's Farm production [Music] and bacon on the hoof is yet part of the New Jersey scene ornamentals comprise an unusual New Jersey agricultural commodity that persists in the face of extreme pressures for land horticulturists grow large quantities of plants and shrubs to beautify home and factories alike [Music] and in New Jersey more than 30 large Farms are dedicated to Growing sod instant longs to enhance and protect nearby [Music] properties the pressure for land grows in New Jersey this is the most Urban of all states and the most densely populated the popularity of a state close to the nation's finest markets and between the nation's best sea ports creates spiraling demands for [Music] land industry ever seeks wide open land where a manufacturing plant can be set in the midst of dozens of Acres of parking lots Industrial Development is far more than merely the land occupied by a [Music] building home developers have rushed into once rural areas now hundreds of new housing developments are set smack in the middle of vegetable fields and dairy pastures towns have Arisen on land that was farmed only 20 years ago shopping centers industrial developments home areas recreational areas all these create increasing demands for land to be used for wide super highways and impressive entrances and exits a single superhighway interchange can consume more than 40 acres of land the equivalent of a small farm it adds up to an accelerated Pace that could within two decades bring to reality the horror nightmare of a state completely sunk under asphalt and concrete obviously something must be done for reasons of Health for reasons of Sanity for reasons of beauty and most important to protect a continuing food supply it is not something alone for New Jersey to consider the urbanization of America merely has come to New Jersey 15 or 20 20 years before it reaches the rest of the nation whatever is done in New Jersey must be a Pioneer effort citizens of the state must consider seriously every proposal for the preservation of valuable Farm Acres this might be debated argued or criticized it cannot be ignored the necessity is to preserve about 1 million Acres of New Jersey Farmland by enabling taxpaying Farmers to stay on their land and to protect them against the loss of high income they might realize by selling their Acres quickly a state sponsored program to preserve lands might seem radical yet preservation is a common American theme each year taxpayers invest in state park lands in Seashore [Music] Jetties in acquiring and maintaining historic [Music] sites in setting aside bird sanctuaries we do so in Awareness that such Investments maintain and improve the quality of Our Lives farming is not less of a National Treasure than a saved Seashore as Citizens and taxpayers we can ask we must ask in preserving tax supported land what's in it for me the answers as far as preserved Farmland in New Jersey are concerned are many in varied Above All We benefit directly from farm products from The Nearness of fruits and vegetables from the milk eggs poultry and meat from nearby Farms New Jersey Farmers Proclaim with Merit that their products are pressure by Miles we benefit from crop bearing Fields where water percolates slowly through the Earth to replenish underground [Music] supplies each new acre parking lot where water runs swiftly across the asphalt threatens this [Music] treasure we benefit when Ed Fields hold soil in place preventing wasteful and even dangerous erosion of hillsides and Fields we benefit from Farm crops that Aid in maintaining the quality of the air by helping to provide oxygen one acre of Farmland can add as much as 7 tons of oxygen to our atmosphere every year we benefit aesthetically the the city dwellers ride in the country is an American tradition a time to take pleasure in open green fields and pleasant farm buildings these are taxpaying Green Acres putting a dollar and cense value on the beauty of Farmland is impossible but neither can we put a dollar value on a sand dune or a forest kept in a natural state and we might benefit from the simple joy of visiting a farm to let a new generation pet a horse to see a goat to know that pigs are not only in picture books and to enjoy young farm animals frolicking in springtime Sun what's in it for me a proper question Pres ation of Farmland May cost a great deal for many years to come each taxpayer farmer and non-farmer like will share in the costs the benefits can come only by understanding the values that Farms add to our lives the cost of maintaining New Jersey Farmland is something that should be discussed vigorously rationally economically but the cost of not maintaining such acres is even more worthy of discussion it is necessary above all to consider the [Music] Alternatives if Farmland is not preserved through intelligent effort there is no alternative to New Jersey becoming a border to border City complete with Industries shopping centers home developments highways all necessary but how many can one small state support and yet hope to maintain any quality of life that is [Music] bearable there is a choice consider seriously the Alternatives a balance of farmland or full development consider that we have affirmed many times our belief that many things [Music] Parklands [Music] Seashore sanctuaries must be preserved As Natural [Music] Resources preservation of Natural Resources those are the key words is there any natural resource greater than Farmland there is only one answer we must keep as much Farmland as we can an American statesman expressed it well 75 years ago when he said destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country for land's sake we must realize that agriculture keeps New Jersey green he [Applause] [Music]