Pilesgrove farm inducted into preservation program

Thursday, May 17, 2007

By RANDALL CLARK

Staff Writer

PILESGROVE TWP. After what Pilesgrove Township Mayor Ernie Bickford called a "perfect storm of events to make it work," the farm of Mario and Catherine Caltabiano was officially inducted into the state's farmland preservation program Wednesday.

The 84-acre farm, situated on Eldridges Hill Road, was preserved at a cost of $16,000 per acre, a total of $1,344,000. Officials said that Caltabiano's land was assessed at $18,050, but he generously donated the $2,050 difference toward preservation efforts.

"Mario and Catherine Caltabiano are really special people, they made the choice to preserve their land when there are so many other choices right now with so much development pressure," said Michele Byers, executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF). "They have made that choice, and I'd like to thank the entire family for that."

Salem County now has over 22,000 acres preserved, second in New Jersey only to Burlington County. Statewide 157,000 acres have been preserved to date, according to officials. The preservation of the Caltabiano farm which grows asparagus, tomatoes, butternut squash, eggplant and watermelons among other crops was a partnership which took the efforts of federal, state and local governments along with the non-profit group NJCF.

The State Farmland Preservation Program, the USDA Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program (FRPP), Pilesgrove Township, NJCF and the William Penn Foundation all generously supported the nearly $1.4 million effort.

"This is the first farm in New Jersey history that the Federal Farm and Ranchlands Program combined with a non-profit organization (to preserve)," said New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Charles Kuperus, one of many officials on hand for the event. "We are the most densely populated state in the country and most certainly we should be taking a look at how we can preserve and protect the farmland and those families."

The FRPP program put up the largest percentage of funds, about 50 percent, according to Janice Reid of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. Pilesgrove Township was able to contribute 5 percent of the total cost.

"One of the things we like to do as an agency is called cooperative conservation, we don't protect the land alone, we always work with partners," Reid said. "In this case it has been a wonderful partnership." Reid said that New Jersey is always among the top three states in terms of the amount of federal preservation program funds it receives, along with Massachusetts and Maryland.

Assemblymen Douglas Fisher and John Burzichelli, both staunch advocates of farmland preservation, also offered their support of the hard work contributed by so many people. "In our district we have more than 200,000 acres of farmland that would be easily swallowed up by development but not for preservation efforts," said Fisher. "I think it is very noble what we can to today, to keep our state green and have open space, but obviously it takes dollars and it takes a program and it takes a commitment."

Burzichelli commented that preservation must be done right, and that means properly compensating the families involved in farming. "Timing is not on our side, because the pressure of development is real," he said. If a developer knocks on the door of a farmer and says I am going to pay you this great amount of money,' you have to respect that farmer's right to talk about the value of his land. So to this family I say thank you.'"

One of the main concerns of NJCF is with the New Jersey Preservation Trust Fund, which Gov. Jon Corzine must commit to put on the ballot by the beginning of July for the General Election in November. Without that money, NJCF said that there is a risk of having a funding gap of approximately two years, at which time developers would more easily acquire properties. Land values would also increase in that period, making it harder for groups to pool funds for preservation, as this partnership accomplished.

Though for Caltabiano, the father of seven children, knowing that his land was secure and forever part of the landscape of Salem County was reason to rejoice. "I'm so happy to be able to do this. I wanted to for my son, Joe, so he can continue the family tradition," said Caltabiano. "And now I guess I can keep on farming myself until I kick the bucket."

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