Farming
America’s Grow-a-Row owns and operates four farms in Hunterdon County totaling over 420 acres that are part of New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation Program. We are committed to sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship that promotes soil health, conserves water, and minimizes chemical use on our farms. Although we are based in the Garden State, so named because of New Jersey’s rich history of agricultural production, much of the population we serve is concentrated in urban areas and we invite the recipients of our produce to our farms to learn about farming and food systems. We teach volunteers and visitors about how agricultural production helps meet our basic need for food and that farmers provide a year-round variety of healthy choices. Our volunteer and education programs offer experiential opportunities for people of all ages to learn, engage, and connect with the farm. We also maintain strong relationships with local partner farms to glean excess fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste in the fields to include in our produce distribution.
New Jersey is a top 10 producer of over 9 varieties of produce in the U.S. At America’s Grow-a-Row we grow over 17 types of produce each season and are committed to keeping our farmland healthy and productive. Through the use of Integrated Pest Management, we utilize a variety of farming techniques in order to limit the regular use of pesticides in our fields.
Sustainable Farming
Our goal is to make our farming practices more cost-effective and environmentally conscious. In order to be good stewards of our land, we protect and promote soil health, conserve water and prevent runoff, recycle materials, and minimize chemical use on our farm. We do this by:
- Rotating crops
- Cover cropping our fields
- Direct drilling/no till farming
- Utilizing 138 tillable acres of 255 total tillable acres
- Conserving water with the use of drip irrigation and plastic mulch
- Relying on natural precipitation for hardier crops
- Promoting the recycling of all packaging materials including bins and pallets
- Utilizing a hybrid system of Integrated Pest Management and volunteer help in field maintenance to minimize chemical use
- Continuing on-the-field gleaning of approximately 400,000 servings of produce annually in a typical year from local orchards
America’s Grow-a-Row’s farm locations
- a 150-acre farm in Pittstown that has served as our headquarters and primary farming site since our beginning in 2002
- a 138-acre farm in Alexandria Township that we purchased in 2010
- a 40-acre property that we purchased in 2018 across the street from our headquarters farm
- the recently acquired 100-acre property of Valley Crest Farm and Preserve, a non-profit farm in Lebanon, NJ that donated their land to us
In 2022 we donated 2.3 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to our neighbors in need, and since our beginning we have donated more than 17.5 million pounds—or 70 million servings—to those facing food insecurity.
