Click for the 40 Years of Farmland Preservation StoryMap
This year, 2023, is the 40th anniversary of the Morris County Agriculture Development Board. We want to celebrate this occasion by illustrating all the farms preserved by the County Easement Purchase Program. Click the link above or visit the Farmland Preservation Page and click on 'History of the Program' to view the StoryMap.
“Over the last four decades in operation, the Morris County Agriculture Development Board has grown exponentially; beginning its efforts with one 14-acre farm in 1987 to amassing permanent conservation of an impressive 142 farms and 8,200 acres across Morris County. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the county board’s efforts to protect and preserve both the land and the people that call Morris County their home.
From inception, the Morris County Agriculture Development Board was created with the success of the land and people in mind; overseeing the farmland preservation program while offering farm owners the opportunity to preserve, own, and maintain their farms with autonomy. This dedication to land and farmer has assisted in providing better lifestyles and prospects for agricultural residents and has facilitated advancements in conservation county-wide. The StoryMap provided by the Morris County Agriculture Development Board offers residents a glimpse into the success of the board and its diverse members with visual representation of preservation growth over the last forty years. With the protection of these 142 farms, the board welcomes a vast arrangement of members that represent the beauty and diversity of Morris County agriculture and all it stands for: honoring sectors such as vegetable, fruit, livestock, equine, dairy, hay, grain, and greenhouse operations and conservation.
This monumental milestone marking the 40th anniversary was not achieved by one individual alone. Initial gratitude can be granted to the founding freeholders for creating this program while sincere appreciation can be given to past, present, and future Morris County employees for managing the day-to-day program operations. Without the dedication of all the serving board members, the success and continued growth of the program would not have reached its current eminence.”
Dale Davis III
Chairman
County Agricultural Development Board