Middlesex County preserves Duchess Farm in South Brunswick
A 7-acre farm located on Davidsons Mill Road in South Brunswick has been preserved through the Middlesex County Farmland Preservation Program.
The county, in partnership with the state and the township, purchased the development rights for Duchess Farm on April 9. The farmland was owned by township residents Candice Howard and Thomas Brys and purchased for $235,438. The state contributed $141,262.80, the county paid $47,087.60, and township paid $47,087.60 toward the purchase.
With the addition of this farm, more than 5,494 acres of farmland have been preserved throughout the county, of which 3,781 acres have been specifically preserved through the Farmland Preservation Program. The nearly 5,500 acres include state-owned lands, preservations easements purchased through County Farmland Preservation Program funds, and acquisitions made directly by the state, municipalities, and a nonprofit organization.
Middlesex County’s Farmland Preservation Program purchases the non-agriculture development rights on farmland that meets criteria established by the Middlesex County Agriculture Development Board and the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee.
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The value is determined by two independent appraisals, and the farmland is preserved by placing an agriculture preservation easement on the property. The state, county, and municipality share the cost of the farms’ development rights, with the state contributing much of the purchase price.
Middlesex County’s program is strictly voluntary; farmland owners interested in participating in the program must submit a formal application to the Middlesex County Agriculture Development Board. Farm owners interested in the program can contact Laurie Sobel, supervising planner, of the Middlesex County Office of Planning at 732-745-4014 or Brady Smith, senior environmental planner at 732-745-3843.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Middlesex County preserves Duchess Farm in South Brunswick
