New Jersey Department of Agriculture
 |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | New Jersey |
| Headquarters | Health and Agriculture Building, Market and Warren Streets, Trenton, NJ 08625 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/ |
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is a state governmental agency that is responsible for promotion and protection of agriculture and agribusiness in the state of New Jersey. The department oversees school meal programs, distributes surplus food from federal programs, oversees soil and water resources, maintains farmland for agricultural uses, assists in development of overseas markets for New Jersey products from its farms and fisheries and administers agricultural education programs.
As of 2009[update], the New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture is Douglas H. Fisher, a former member of the New Jersey General Assembly from Cumberland County.[1]
Contents
Organization
The department is jointly managed by the Secretary of Agriculture and the State Board of Agriculture. The Secretary is responsible for managing and directing the work of the department. In addition, the Secretary is the department’s executive officer, serves as secretary to the State Board of Agriculture and is a member of the Governor's cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor and serves at his pleasure.
The State Board of Agriculture, an eight-member body created by statute in 1887, serves as the policy-making and general head of the department. The Board is charged with setting policies which direct the Secretary and the department in carrying out its duties and responsibilities. Each member serves a four-year term, with two members replaced annually by new members elected at the State Agricultural Convention and appointed by the Governor with the approval of the State Senate. By law, at least four of the members must represent the top four commodity groups in the state based on a two-year average of the gross value of production.
- State Board of Agricultute
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Office of the Secretary
- Agricultural and Natural Resources Division
- Animal Health Division
- Food and Nutrition Division
- Marketing and Development Division
- Plant Industry Division
Agricultural education
Also found at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture is the Agricultural Education Division, led by Mrs. Nancy Trivette. The division oversees all agricultural education programs in New Jersey, as well as leading the New Jersey FFA Association. There are currently over 2,500 FFA members in the state of New Jersey spanning across 36 chapters.
New Jersey FFA Association Executive Board
The New Jersey Agricultural Education and FFA Executive Board is as follows:
- State FFA Advisor: Mrs. Nancy Trivette
- State FFA Specialist: Mrs. Erin Noble
- State FFA Executive Treasurer: Ms. Sue Butch
- State FFA President: Kristianne Dowd, Freehold FFA
- State FFA Vice President: Kelly Gangel, Northern Burlington FFA
- State FFA Secretary: Jenna Pinhas, Allentown FFA
- State FFA Treasurer: Benjamin Wainwright, Northern Burlington FFA
- State FFA Reporter: Hope Cahill, Monmouth County FFA
- State FFA Sentinel: Sean Hamner, Northern Burlington FFA
- State FFA Parliamentarian: Kyle Fisher, Salem Co. Vo. Tech FFA
- State FFA Executive Committee Chair: Kyle Clement, Salem Co. Vo. Tech FFA
- State FFA Executive Committee: Delaney Gray, Freehold FFA
- State FFA Executive Committee: Catherine Cincotta, Northern Burlington FFA
- State FFA Executive Committee: David Watts, Penns Grove FFA
- State FFA Executive Committee: Stuart Faunce, Allentown FFA
- Teacher Representative: Lisa-Ann Moschera-Chernigovets
Commodities councils
The Division works closely with seven commodity councils to help them publicize their products and bring the benefits of grower-sponsored research to consumers. The funds are used by each council for product research and improvement, promotional point-of-purchase materials and special promotional events. These councils are funded by taxes levied on farmers, growers, and producers based on the quantity of goods produced. Grower-funded commodity councils have been established for apples, blueberries, milk, poultry, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and wine.[2] These include:
- New Jersey Apple Industry Advisory Council
- New Jersey Dairy Industry Advisory Council
- New Jersey Poultry Products Promotion Council
- New Jersey Wine Industry Advisory Council
References
- ↑ "Governor Corzine's Statement on the Appointment of Douglas Fisher as New Jersey's Secretary of Agriculture", Governor of New Jersey press release, dated February 10, 2009. Accessed March 16, 2009.
- ↑ New Jersey State Department of Agriculture. Commodities Councils. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
