Posted on 02/20/2005 6:19:29 PM PST by Coleus
A Wantage dairy farmer has become the first Sussex County farmer -- and only the fourth ever from New Jersey -- to be named a winner in the 49th annual National Outstanding Young Farmer competition.
He also is the first dairy farmer in New Jersey to win the award, said Lynne Richmond, a spokeswoman with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
"The recognition means a lot to me. I was just happy to be there," said Jeff VanderGroef, who operates the 337-acre Havendale Farm, one of the largest dairy farms in New Jersey.
VanderGroef, 37, received the New Jersey 2005 Outstanding Young Farmer Award last month from the state Department of Agriculture. As the state winner, he advanced to the expense-paid national competition held Feb. 9-13 in Modesto, Calif. The national event was sponsored by the U.S. Jaycees and John Deer.
VanderGroef received the national honor Saturday along with three farmers from Illinois, Iowa and Michigan. About 25 farmers ages 21-39 participated in the national competition and VanderGroef received a $1,000 prize for being among the winners, Richmond said.
While in California, VanderGroef attended the World Ag Expo, an agricultural show in Tulare, toured an 11,000-acre vineyard and visited a wine-processing facility.
"What an experience. The whole program was just incredible. It was educational, inspirational, very good,".
He said he didn't know why he was chosen a national winner, but he said 50 percent of the contestants' scores were based on overall innovations made at their farms; 25 percent on community service; and 25 percent on soil conservation efforts.
In 1986, VanderGroef, a third- generation farmer, started out with only $12,000, seven registered Holsteins, a small rented farm with 30 acres of pasture but no cropland. Today, he owns 210 Holsteins, which produce about 900 gallons of milk per day.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
We beat the whole country, our little urban state. Congratulations Jeff VanderGroef!
Congratulations!
You mean the firewood harvestors weren't even contestants :)
LOL! Yes that was my sarcasm.
BTTT!!!!!!
The only other New Jersey farmers ever to win the national honor are: Robert C. Von Thun Jr., (2001) and James Giamarese, (1989), both Middlesex County vegetable farmers; and Abbott W. Lee, (1985), a Burlington County cranberry farmer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.