Welcome to the Cumberland County Agriculture Development Board's page. Agriculture has long been an important cultural aspect of Cumberland County and has attracted people to the region from around the world. This has made Cumberland County one of the most ethnically diverse rural settings in the United States. In the 1870s, Charles Landis, the founder of Vineland, discovered that the soi
l was ideal for growing grapes. He started the first Italian-language newspaper in the United States, The Echo of Italy, and attracted large numbers of Italians to move to the new city to start vineyards. In the 1880s, many Jews facing persecution in Russia came to America and formed agricultural colonies across the country, many of which were in New Jersey. Communities such as Rosenhayn and Carmel began as Jewish agricultural colonies. During World War II, the Seabrook Farms plant in Upper Deerfield responded to wartime labor shortages by recruiting Japanese Americans living in internment camps. Today, jobs in the agricultural industry draw many workers from Mexico and Central America to Cumberland County. With 22% of Cumberland County's 500 square miles of landmass in agricultural production, the agricultural community is highly prized and strongly supported by county government. Agriculture is the number one industry in Cumberland County, and this $2 billion economic powerhouse leads the state on a number of fronts. Cumberland County was ranked by the 2007 United States Census of Agriculture as New Jersey's highest grossing county with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling nearly $157 million. Cumberland County is the largest producer in the state of nursery and horticultural products, producing nearly $100 million worth (wholesale) of plants annually. Cumberland County also has higher sales of vegetables than any other county in the state, totaling nearly $40 million in 2007. As the county with the highest agricultural market value in the state, Cumberland County is distinguished by its rural working landscapes. Many farmers in Cumberland County operate highly successful and productive businesses that contribute to the area's economy and quality of life. Protecting the rural quality of the county, while conducting thoughtful planning for the future, will assure that Cumberland County's farming heritage and quality of life is sustained.
