As conversations about climate resilience and food security have intensified, we began developing a proposal in late 2024 to examine how regenerative farmers are adapting to economic, environmental, and market disruptions across New Jersey. We planned to deploy a statewide survey, designed in consultation with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, that would capture insights on local market utilization, climate resilience strategies, and the financial viability of regenerative farms. The feedback we received during the proposal phase was positive, and we felt confident moving ahead.
However, as we prepared to deploy our survey in April, we learned that the New Jersey Organic and Regenerative Agriculture Board had conducted a nearly identical survey weeks earlier, focusing on the very topics we had aimed to explore, which had escaped our notice. It was a clarifying moment; New Jersey’s farmers, like those across the country, are already stretched thin, and the last thing they need is to be asked the same set of questions twice. Rather than duplicate efforts or risk survey fatigue, we chose to shift gears.
Over the last month, we’ve had productive conversations with the Board, which, instead of leading to a dead end, have led to a promising new collaboration. Together, we’ve agreed to build on the existing work through three strategic additions:
- Collaborative Analysis: We’ll work directly with the team behind the initial survey to analyze the results and identify key findings that address both policy needs and farmer realities.
- Case Studies from Other States: We’ll produce a series of comparative case studies on states that have implemented targeted policies to support regenerative agriculture, providing a clearer view of actionable policy levers for New Jersey.
- Qualitative Interviews: To add depth and narrative context to the survey data, we’ll conduct in-depth interviews with farmers and farm owners across the state to understand their lived experience with regenerative practices and the challenges they face.
This pivot may be a departure from our original design, but it offers something far more meaningful: the opportunity to be part of a coordinated, high-impact research effort that will directly inform policy conversations in Trenton. Our findings will be presented to the New Jersey Legislature, the Department of Agriculture, and the Governor’s Office, an important platform for shaping how the state supports regenerative farmers moving towards the future.
We’re proud to be part of this collaborative process and excited about the potential for evidence-based policy that advances regenerative agriculture across New Jersey.