Somerset County Government: Somerset County Agricultural Board Video Features County Commissioners At Lavender-Alpaca Farm To Discuss Aw ...

Press release from the Somerset County Government:

01/04/2022 11:49 AM

SKILLMAN, NJ –  Somerset County’s Agricultural Development Board received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award (GEEA) for outstanding support of “Healthy and Sustainable Communities.” County Commissioners Melonie Marano and Paul Drake went on-site at the Hidden Spring Lavender/Alpaca Farm to discuss  how the Ag Board developed creative ways to help safely provide the public with access to food during the pandemic. Watch the video and share.

“In 2020 when the world virtually shut down, the county realized that there would be a need for a safe and sustainable food supply,” said Somerset County Commissioner Melonie Marano. “That’s when County Commissioners created a Roundtable with the Ag Board and other experts to develop a plan on how to deliver food safely to the public.”

Find out how the Ag Board successfully implemented the plan, learn why they received recognition from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and why they were honored with the GEEA. Watch now and share.

Somerset County Agricultural Development Board (SCADB)
The SCADB, supported by the Office of Planning, Policy and Economic Development, has partnered with the Board of County Commissioners to preserve over 8,900 acres of farmland. The SCADB supports the County’s farmland preservation program; works with farmers and residents to mediate Right-to-Farm matters throughout the County; assists farmers in implementing Best Management Practices for their operations; and hosts seminars and workshops on pressing agricultural issues, pending legislation, and new practices and technology.

Hidden Spring Lavender/Alpaca Farm
The farm is located in Skillman, NJ and is managed and operated by a team of two farmers, a husband and wife, who have cultivated 15 types of lavender. The lavender is distilled in July and is used in products sold at the farm’s store. They also raise alpacas and use the alpaca’s fleece to make items for sale at the store.

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This press release was produced by the Somerset County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.