Preservation allows family to keep Warren County dairy farm, (winter 2010)

FRANKLIN TWP. (Warren County) – After his father died, third-generation farmer Leonard Truszkowski didn’t know if he could continue running the family’s 150-acre dairy farm in the rolling hills of Warren County. His siblings weren’t interested in the farm and he wasn’t sure if he could afford to buy out them out.

But with the help of New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Truszkowski was able to guarantee not only his own future as a farmer, but also that of his 23-year-old son, Scott.

Using federal, state and county funds, New Jersey Conservation Foundation purchased the development rights on 139 acres of the Truszkowski farmland, ensuring that it remains in agricultural use forever. The payment allowed Truszkowski to buy out his siblings and become the farm’s sole owner.
“Now the farm’s paid off and we’ve got a couple of dollars in the bank. Everybody’s happy,” said Truszkowski.

Truszkowski said he and his wife, Donna, are pleased that their son will be able to eventually take over the farm off Morgan Road. “Scott works seven days a week here. He’s a good kid,” said Truszkowski. “He’s the main reason why we did this. We wanted to keep everything in the family and keep it going.”

The Truszkowskis own a herd of 70 Holstein cows, and also grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. In addition to working their own farmland, they lease another 600 acres nearby.

Funding came from the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program, the State Agriculture Development Committee and the Warren County open space trust fund.

“Warren County is strongly committed to keeping as much farmland as we can, and we feel that working with a nonprofit partner like New Jersey Conservation Foundation is very effective in getting a larger bang for our buck,” said Robert Resker, director of land preservation for Warren County. “New Jersey Conservation Foundation has been an extremely helpful and effective partner.”

“Farmland preservation can be an important tool to help farm families stay on their land,” said Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher, who chairs the State Agriculture Development Committee. “We are delighted that the preservation of this farm not only ensures that this land will always be available for agriculture, but will also help the Truszkowskis continue their longtime farming tradition.”

Leonard Truszkowski’s father, Raymond, bought the Franklin Township property 32 years ago after growing up farming with his father in Somerset County.

The Truszkowski farm is part of a green belt of nearly 1,000 acres of preserved land; farms immediately to the north and south have been preserved. Hundreds of additional acres of preserved farmland lie within a few miles.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve land and natural resources throughout New Jersey for the benefit of all. Since 1960, the Foundation has protected more than 120,000 acres, or 187 square miles. For more information, visit www.njconservation.org or call 1-888-LAND-SAVE (1-888-526-3728).