Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Atlantic County Preserves 65-Acre Blueberry Farm from Development

A 65-acre blueberry farm in Mullica Township has been protected from development following the $382,678 purchase of development easements by Atlantic County on March 11, 2008 through the county's farmland preservation program. The farm is owned by Anthony Merlino and is identified as block 903, lot 2 and block 1001, lot 37.

"New Jersey is the Garden State and Atlantic County is proud to do its part to preserve our farmlands and our agricultural heritage," stated County Executive Dennis Levinson.

With the addition of this farm, there are more than 4,000 acres of protected farmland within Atlantic County, more than half of which have been preserved through the county's farmland preservation program that guarantees protection from non-agriculture use.

Participating landowners agree to sell their development rights but maintain ownership and the ability to continue farming. The state certifies the development values for each farm based on independent appraisals conducted by two licensed appraisers and a review by a staff appraiser.

The Merlino farm purchase was funded with $250,212 from the State Agriculture Development Committee. The remaining costs were funded through the Atlantic County Open Space Trust Fund.

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