State officials tour Hillsborough farm that won $100,000 agritourism grant

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. — State agriculture and tourism officials toured Abma’s Farm in Hillsborough on Monday to highlight a $100,000 state grant the farm received to expand its agritourism and education offerings, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture said.

The farm plans to use the money to build a 2,000-square-foot open-air educational pavilion. Working with Somerset County 4-H and Rutgers Cooperative Extension, it intends to offer farm tours, planting and harvesting activities, cooking demonstrations, and lessons on nutrition and sustainable agriculture, according to the department.

Abma’s Farm was one of 71 recipients announced May 1 in the first year of the New Jersey Agritourism Grant Program, run by the Department of State’s Division of Travel and Tourism with the Department of Agriculture. The program drew more than 440 applications from all 21 counties seeking more than $36 million. It awarded $5 million in total to businesses in 16 counties, with an average grant of about $70,000.

The grants come from the Agritourism Fund, created under a 2023 law that Assemblyman Roy Freiman, whose 16th Legislative District includes the farm, sponsored. The fund supports farms, ranches, wineries, breweries, distilleries and other agricultural businesses that draw visitors.

“Agritourism plays an important role in New Jersey’s economy. It helps farms grow their businesses while bringing visitors into our communities,” Freiman said. “Investments in farms like Abma’s help make those opportunities possible and ensure we keep the garden in the Garden State.”

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn called the farm “an excellent example of how these investments support both agriculture and community engagement.”

Lt. Gov. Shirley U. Emehelu, who also serves as secretary of state, said tourism in New Jersey draws 124.2 million visitors who spend $51.9 billion, and that the grant program helps position farms and wineries “as valued tourism destinations.”

Members of the State Board of Agriculture and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Tameko Webster were among those on the tour, along with farm owners Jimmy and Anna Abma.

This report is based on a press release from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.