In the face of escalating climate instability, eroding soil, and economic precarity, the integration of regenerative practices into agricultural systems is emerging as a vital model for ensuring agriculture’s continued viability. Thanks to financial support from the New Jersey State Policy Lab and a collaboration with the Organic and Regenerative Farming Board of New Jersey, we are able to provide the most detailed portrait to date of New Jersey’s regenerative agriculture sector. Drawing on a survey of regenerative farm owners across the state and comparative policy frameworks, we offer a grounded and data-rich exploration of who these farmers are, what their operations look like, and how state-level policy can support their success.[1]
At its core, regenerative agriculture offers an alternative to the high-input, high-emissions model of conventional farming. Instead of relying on monocultures and synthetic inputs, regenerative practices emphasize soil health, biodiversity, and ecological integration. While we can state a working definition through its core tenets, New Jersey does not currently have a statutory definition of the practice. But in a state characterized by its dense population, shrinking farmland base, and rapidly changing climate, this approach is not merely an environmental goal but a practical response to ecological and economic stress.
What makes regenerative agriculture especially notable in the Garden State is not just its ecological ethos but its demographic and economic profile. The agricultural sector as a whole is known for its heterogeneous demographics and its aging profile. But survey results show that regenerative farm owners in New Jersey are significantly younger and more gender and racially diverse than New Jersey farmers overall. While the average age of all farm producers in New Jersey stands at 58.7 years[2], the average among regenerative farmers surveyed is closer to 50.[3] Regarding gender, 38% of producers across the state are women,[4] with an even slimmer 36% at the national level;[5] but nearly 45% of regenerative farm owners in the sample are women. Lastly, racial minorities are exponentially overrepresented in the regenerative sector relative to the state’s conventional farm demographics. Across the state, white producers represent 97% of all producers,[6] while in the regenerative sample, they account for just over 84%.
The farms themselves are also structurally distinct. Almost 60% of regenerative farms in the state operate on less than ten acres, with most engaging in diversified, small-batch production. Vegetables dominate the product mix, with nearly three-quarters of farms reporting some vegetable production, far higher than the 12% share reported at the state level.[7] Other notable outputs include small fruits, tree fruits, eggs, herbs, seeds, and value-added goods like preserves and ferments. Livestock production is also more prevalent among regenerative farms than in the broader state agricultural economy, suggesting an integrated and holistic systems approach to land use and soil fertility. This holistic product mix doesn’t preclude specialty producers, which are well represented in the sample across vegetables, grains, fruits, eggs, forage, dairy, and more; demonstrating that both diverse and specialty producers utilize regenerative practices.
Unsurprisingly, this model of agriculture also maps well onto different economic strategies. Regenerative farms rely heavily on direct-to-consumer sales channels, including farmers’ markets, CSAs, and on-farm sales. Over two-thirds of survey respondents use at least one of these direct channels, compared to only 6.6% of New Jersey farms overall.[8] This reflects an emphasis on relational food economies over anonymous supply chains, which reflects not just economic realities for smaller agricultural outfits, but philosophical alignment with community-based food systems. While regenerative methods offer a promising model for sustainable agriculture, they face serious economic headwinds, consistent with the challenges faced by all farms across the state. The average reported profit among regenerative farmers over the last three years was approximately $22,000,[9] similar to the $24,000 average across all New Jersey farms. Fewer than 20% of respondents reported that their farm profits were sufficient to meet basic household needs, and roughly 75% reported relying on off-farm income to make ends meet. These numbers suggest a significant tension: farmers are pursuing ecologically ambitious, labor-intensive work that is often economically unsustainable under current policy and market conditions.
To more deeply examine profitability, we conducted a four-stage ordered logistic regression. As a stand-in for farm capability, we utilized full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees as the independent variable.[10] The findings were clear: the number of FTE employees was the most consistent and significant predictor of profitability across all models. Farms with 11–20 FTEs had far greater odds of being in higher profitability categories compared to family-run farms. Demographic characteristics like race, gender, and age were not statistically significant predictors of profitability, nor were beginner or socially disadvantaged farmer status, nor sales channels utilized. Trends do suggest, however, that new and historically marginalized farmers are often structurally disadvantaged in accessing capital, labor, and land tenure; factors essential to scaling profitability within a regenerative model.
Lastly, we provide policy options that are direct and actionable; synthesized from frameworks passed by other states and tailored specifically for New Jersey, utilizing the survey data. New Jersey can work to statutorily define regenerative agriculture, creating clarity for programming, research, and incentives. Financial assistance is insufficient; investments can also be made in physical infrastructure (e.g., cold storage, wash stations, processing facilities), technical assistance, and educational outreach. The state could also consider land tenure reforms and publicly supported leasing models, particularly for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, who are overrepresented in the regenerative sector but often lack secure, long-term access to land. Without interventions in land tenure and access to processing facilities, the sector’s ability to expand will remain structurally constrained, regardless of financial incentives.
In the broader climate policy landscape, regenerative agriculture offers more than carbon sequestration or nutrient retention. It represents a model of agriculture that integrates environmental sustainability with social inclusion and local economic development. As the report underscores, New Jersey’s regenerative farmers are not only stewards of soil, but nodes of experimentation, resilience, and community well-being. Scaling this model will be aided by the kind of thoughtful, evidence-based policymaking that this report aims to catalyze.
The full report will be released shortly in conjunction with the Organic and Regenerative Farming Board of New Jersey.
References:
[1] It’s important to note that the findings, while robust, come from a relatively small, self-selecting group (N=94).
[2] USDA, NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, New Jersey, Table 52.
[3] Due to age being gathered in groups (25-34, 35-44), the exact mean is impossible to gather. However, by assigning means to these groups and subsequently identifying the mean of those new groups, we can approximate age.
[4] USDA, NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, New Jersey, Table 52.
[5] “2022 Census of Agriculture Highlights: Female Producers,” United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), accessed August 5, 2025, https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Highlights/2024/Census22_HL_FemaleProducers.pdf.
[6] USDA, NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, New Jersey, Table 52.
[7] USDA, NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, New Jersey, Table 2.
[8] USDA, NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, New Jersey, Table 4.
[9] Utilizing the same methodology we used to identify the mean age.
[10] Additional workers enable higher production, diversification, and market engagement, which in turn supports profitability.