Farmland Preservation

Heyer, Gruel & Associates is assisting communities in their efforts to preserve farmland and a rural way of life in the Garden State.  The State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) has promulgated new standards for Municipal Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plans that must be followed if communities want to remain eligible for important State and County grant programs.  These guidelines update previous planning standards and incorporate recommendations the Agricultural Smart Growth Plan for New Jersey and the NJ Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Plan Endorsement under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan. 

We work closely with municipal Agricultural Advisory Committees, Municipal Planning Boards, County Agriculture Development Boards, County Planning Boards and County Board of Agricultures to ensure that out local planning efforts result in the best outcomes for farmland preservation and farming families.

Our Farmland Plans include:

• An examination of the Municipality’s Agricultural Land Base

• An overview of the Municipality’s Agricultural Industry

• An analysis of the Local and Regional Land Use Planning Context

• An overview of the Municipality’s existing Farmland Preservation Program

• Plans for the future Farmland Preservation Program

• Economic Development for Agricultural Industries

• Natural Resource Conservation 

• Agricultural Industry Sustainability, Retention and Promotion

 Learn more about some of the specific projects we have worked on…

(click on the following links)

- Hope Township Farmland Preservation Plan
- Pohatcong Township Farmland Preservation Plan