Soil and Water Conservation Grants is sponsored by New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC). The SADC provides cost-sharing grants to landowners in permanent or eight-year farmland preservation programs to fund approved soil and water conservation projects, which protect soil and water resources and increase agricultural productivity and profitability.

New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program | Post-Preservation Governor Mikie Sherrill • Lt. Governor Dr. Dale G. Caldwell A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs Publications,Guidance,Videos The Farmland Preservation Program includes several post-preservation activities and opportunities.

Preserved farms are eligible for SADC stewardship grants, such as Soil and Water Conservation grants and Deer Fencing grants, and farm owners may request a "Preserved Farmland: Private Land, Public Legacy" sign for their farm.

The SADC also administers all post-closing requests, such as for divisions of premises, residential construction or replacement, construction of agricultural labor units, exercising of residual dwelling site opportunities (RDSOs), and special permits for rural microenterprises and personal wireless service facilities, as well administers easement violation resolution.

Once a farm is preserved, annual monitoring also is required to ensure compliance with the farmland preservation deed of easement. The SADC conducts annual monitoring of farms preserved through the state acquisition program and coordinates county monitoring efforts and submission of reports.

Soil & Water Conservation Grants Soil & Water Planning Grants Order a Sign for Your Preserved Farm Rural Microenterprise on Preserved Farmland Deed of Easement Interpretation Energy Generation on Preserved Farms Special Occasion Events on Preserved Farmland Annual Monitoring of Preserved Farms Soil & Water Conservation Grants The SADC provides grants to reimburse eligible landowners up to 50 percent of the costs of approved soil and water conservation projects on farms enrolled in permanent or term (8-year or 16-year) farmland preservation programs.

Soil and water conservation projects help prevent and control erosion, reduce pollution, manage water for agricultural purposes, and improve land and soil to achieve maximum agricultural productivity, achieving benefits for farmers, landowners, and natural resources.

Eligible projects for funding are outlined by the State Soil Conservation Committee (SSCC) and may include terracing, diversions, contour farming, strip-cropping, grassed waterways, windbreaks, stream protection, critical area vegetation, surface or subsurface drainage, irrigation systems, sediment or water control structures, livestock watering facilities, forest tree stand improvements and plantations, animal waste control facilities, and agrichemical handling facilities.

Applicants can be the current landowner or the current farm operator with written landowner permission. Interested applicants should contact their local Soil Conservation District , which assists in developing a required farm conservation plan and ensur es projects are necessary and feasible .

Once a farm conservation plan is submitted , an application must be approved by the applicant, technical service provider, and Soil Conservation District and will then be forwarded to the SSCC, who recommends projects to the SADC for funding approval. The Soil and Water Conservation Fact Sheet has additional information about the State Soil & Water Cost-Share Grants and outlines the application process.

If you would like to determine if your project and farm are eligible for funding, please submit a request to SADC using this form either online or print : Online Eligibility Request Form NJ Soil Conservation Districts Service Center Locator | Natural Resources Conservation Service N. J. A.

C. 2. 76-5 and 2.

90-2-3 Soil & Water Planning Grants As of December 1, 2025, SADC can provide grants to financially assist farmers with obtaining farm conservation plans and engineering designs necessary to complete conservation projects . All preserved farms and all applicants of SADC Grants are required to have conservation plans . Many Soil & Water Grant applications also require conservation practice designs.

Applicants can be the current landowner or another authorized entity ( e.g. farmer, land manager, business partner). Interested applicants should have their landowner fill out the following form : Soil & Water Planning Grants - Application Printable PDF Application Form QR Code to the Online Form Soil & Water Planning Grants - Fact Sheet - has additional information about this new grant opportunity.

NJ Soil Conservation Districts Service Center Locator | Natural Resources Conservation Service The SADC provides cost-sharing grants for the installation of wildlife fencing (high-tensile woven wire deer fencing, electric bear fencing, or other wildlife fencing) on permanently preserved farms to protect against crop losses.

Applicants can receive a grant for up to 50 percent of the costs of materials and installation, not to exceed a total of $50,000. Eligible applicants may apply at any time, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Program Policy P-53 (Effective 1/25/24) Application form (Effective 4/20/26) SADC Deer Fencing Installation Training (YouTube video - Installation demonstration starts at 1:02:20) - Law enacted January 8, 2024 that updated the fencing grant program NJDA/SADC Announcement Regarding Program Enhancements - Scope, Grant Amounts, and Eligibility Expanded - February 6, 2024 Fact Sheet - Regarding new program updates based on P. L. 2023, c.

233 Order a Sign for Your Preserved Farm A landowner who wishes to subdivide a permanently preserved farm may apply to the county agriculture development board for a division of the premises. The division must meet criteria in the SADC's policy, including that the resulting parcels are agriculturally viable. The request must be approved by both the county agriculture development board and the SADC.

Division of Premises -- Policy Division of Premises -- Fact Sheet Division of Premises -- Application ( PDF or Word ) Some farms are preserved with a Residual Dwelling Site Opportunity (RDSO) to provide for the limited future construction of a residential unit(s) for agricultural purposes.

An owner of a preserved farm that provides for an RDSO in the deed of easement must apply to the county agriculture development board to exercise that RDSO (i.e., construct the residential unit). Exercise of an RDSO requires both county agriculture development board and SADC approval.

Exercise a Residual Dwelling Site Opportunity (RDSO) -- Policy Exercise a Residual Dwelling Site Opportunity (RDSO) -- Application ( PDF or Word ) Rural Microenterprise on Preserved Farmland The SADC adopted new and amended rules to implement legislation (P. L. 2015, c.

275) that allows a farmer who owns a qualifying preserved farm to apply for a special permit to conduct a rural microenterprise on a preserved farm within certain parameters. The law also promotes and incentivizes the preservation of historic and culturally significant agricultural structures.

Memo to Agricultural Community (9/26/18) Rural Microenterprise Act Application for a Special Permit for a Rural Microenterprise Activity on Preserved Farmland Rules: The full text of the Rural Microenterprise rules (adopted amendments at N. J. A.

C. 2:76-22. 1 through 22.

12 and 22. 14, and new rules at N. J.

A. C. 2:76-22.

12 and 22A) is available via LexisNexis: Visit http://www. lexisnexis. com/populartopics/njcode ; Click the plus sign next to Title 2.

Agriculture; (if Titles are not displayed, first click "NJ Administrative Code" under Links box at upper right). Click the plus sign next to Chapter 76. State Agriculture Development Committee; Click the plus signs next to Subchapter 22 and 22A for the Rural Microenterprise rules.

Deed of Easement Interpretation The SADC in December 2008 appointed a subcommittee to examine various provisions of the farmland preservation Deed of Easement to determine where clarification may be needed to ensure consistent interpretation and related decision-making by the SADC and its preservation partners. Click here for more information on Deed of Easement interpretation. Energy Generation on Preserved Farms P.

L. 2009, c. 213 , which affects the ability of farmers and other landowners to install solar, wind or biomass energy generation systems on farms, was signed into law in January 2010.

The law identifies allowable limits and criteria for these activities on preserved farms, and for qualifying for farmland assessment and right-to-farm protection on both preserved and non-preserved farms.

Application for Solar Energy Generation Facilities on Preserved Farmland (for both rooftop and ground-mounted systems) Unofficial copy of rules for Solar Energy Generation on Preserved Farms Special Occasion Events on Preserved Farmland P. L. 2023, c.

9 became law on February 3, 2023. The law recognizes the positive effects that holding special occasion events (SOEs) on preserved farms can have, under certain conditions. See the documents below for more information on SOEs, including what an SOE is, who may apply to hold SOEs, how many SOEs may be held, where they can be held, and the roles of easement holders (counties, nonprofits, and the SADC) and municipalities.

Also see a below for a copy of the annual reports submitted to the Governor and Legislature in 2024 and 2025. Guidance Document - Overview Outreach Presentation (PDF) Outreach Presentation (Previously Recorded Video - 4/10/23) (see also below) SOE law – N. J.

S. A. 4:1C-32.

15 et seq.

Production Value Estimator Spreadsheet Tool 2024 - Special Occasion Events on Preserved Farmland: Initial Report to the Governor and Legislature - July 25, 2024 2025 - Special Occasion Events on Preserved Farmland: Annual Report Update to the Governor and Legislature - July 24, 2025 SOE Outreach Presentation (Previously Recorded Video - 4/10/23) Annual Monitoring of Preserved Farms The Monitoring E-form works best when you save it on your computer and then open it with Adobe Reader.

To save a blank copy of the E-Form to your computer, do the following: Right-click the Monitoring Report E-form link. Save the PDF file to your computer. To open the E-form with Adobe Reader, do the following: Select "Open with Adobe Acrobat".

After you open the E-form, if you get a pop-up when you click the Pre-Fill button, try the following: Select Options/"Trust this document one time only". Click "No" (when asked "Do you want to save the changes"). Enter the ID# and PIN, and then click the Pre-Fill button.

You also can open the Monitoring Report E-Form directly in Edge (in an Edge internet browser window) if you first update the settings to allow Edge to open sites (such as the E-Form) in Internet Explorer mode. Note: Here are instructions for how to update the settings in Edge . Statement | Accessibility Transfer of Development Rights | Statutes/Rules/Policies | Publications,Guidance,Videos | Department of Agriculture