Howell farmers: We need to host events to stay alive, but township is squashing us

HOWELL - A few years back, Theresa Reid held a dinner on her farm to raise donations for Jon Bon Jovi’s charity restaurant in Red Bank. Fifty people paid to attend. As it was about to begin, Howell inspectors and police officers showed up to put a stop to it.

Reid hadn’t heeded the township’s extensive permit-and-fees process for such an event. After some discussion, she found a workaround.

“We refunded everybody their money and they donated it back, and then we gave the money to Bon Jovi,” she said.

After simmering for years, the tug-of-war between Howell’s 100-plus farmers and township officials over the right to hold events is boiling over. Farmers have organized a concerted pushback, contending that an inability to host weddings, showers or other parties — or even smaller-scale events like farm-to-table dinners, yoga class and educational workshops — without navigating a thicket of permits and fees has threatened their livelihoods.

Where to pick your own flowers? New Jersey flower farms opening for 2024

“I had to cancel one wedding and five or six showers last spring,” said Reid, owner of Beyond Organic Growers. “This is money that pays our winter bills. After next year, I don’t know if we’re going to be here. If they don’t give us the events, we’re definitely not going to be here.

“It’s been a nightmare,” Reid added. “But I’m not the only one.”

'Why is this such an issue?'

The movement, Howell Farmers United, sprang up to address the concern. Its leaders requested a meeting with township brass and was given a date of April 25.

“We’re too far into the season already — we need to meet with them sooner,” said Betty Velez, who founded Howell Farmers United. “What are they stuck on? Why is this such an issue?”

Matthew Howard, Howell’s director of community development and land use officer, said Howell is taking a lead in navigating an emerging trend.

“It’s a new type of idea for farms to hold events,” he said. “Farms used to be farms. They didn’t used to be gathering places and places for banquets.”

Farms turn into homes: Plan calls for sprawling farm in west Freehold to be 160 new homes

One point of contention for Howell Farmers United is the township’s proposal that events with more than 30 people require a potentially costly site-plan approval with detailed parking, stormwater runoff and food-handling measures.

“With the 30-person (limit), we put that out there as a starting point,” Howard said. “We’re talking to our attorney and planners about what the magic sweet spot is. If neighbors come complaining, we don’t have a good response for noise or anything like that, and realistically, we’re adding a commercial use for a site for which it was never designed. We’re probably going to come up from that (30), but probably not as high as the farmers want.”

At the very least, Velez said, holding simple fundraisers should not be subjected to the same bureaucratic maze as hosting a wedding.

“They are combining the direct marketing events and farm to table with special events,” she said. “That’s where the problem is.”

Howard agreed about untangling that knot.

“The intention is completely to do that,” Howard said.

Velez contends Howell’s regulation of farm events is out of step with the hands-off approach of other municipalities and even the state of New Jersey. Howard sees the township as a leader in the field and foresees other towns following suit.

“We’re looking to find a starting-off point so we can start to let the farms expand their uses and stay viable,” Howard said. “And we can always reevaluate as time goes on.”

Time, however, is of the essence for farmers struggling to pay their bills now.

Help this Monmouth County farm: You can save an old racehorse from being slaughtered

A livelihood in jeopardy

Howard was asked, point-blank, where farms rank in terms of Howell’s business constituents in the township’s eyes.

“They’re the most important properties,” he said. “We know if the farms aren’t here, we’ll be facing overdevelopment.”

Reid contends that’s already happening. While township administrators fight farmers tooth and nail, “warehouses are getting built,” Reid said. “We’re going to be the next Edison.”

That would be a shame. Farms add much to a community. They preserve open space. Reid has several customers who are battling chronic illnesses and rely on the fresh, nonprocessed food they produce as a form of natural medicine. She referred one patron, an armed forces veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder, to nearby Magnolia Farm’s animal sanctuary for equine therapy (interacting with horses is known to help reduce stress and anxiety).

Woman loved Wall nonprofit therapy farm. So she paid off their $1.8M mortgage.

“There is so much good out there on these farms,” Reid said.

Her husband’s side of the family has been farming for several generations. Two of their sons work with them. The younger one, Matthew Reid, is 33 and had to collect unemployment this past winter because of the dearth of events.

“This is his whole life; this is what he knows,” Theresa said, fighting back tears. “And he doesn’t make a lot of money and he doesn’t care. He loves this farm. But if there’s no events, there is no paycheck for him.”

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Howell farmers say township is too restrictive on their events