Significant Long Valley Farmland Highlighted In Morris County Map

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Morris County is commemorating the Farmland Preservation Program's 40th anniversary by launching an interactive story map of all 142 farms preserved over the years, including several in Long Valley.

The Office of Planning and Preservation created the story map to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the farmland grant program, which began in 1983 when the Board of County Commissioners established the Morris County Agriculture Development Board (CADB).

The board was formed to oversee the preservation program, which uses grant funding to purchase development rights from willing farm owners, preserving the land while still allowing farmers to own and operate their farms.

KelMar Acres, a 14-acre farm in Washington Township, was the first to be preserved on Dec. 28, 1987, and the program was initially supported through capital dollars provided in the county's annual budget.

The Morris County Agriculture Development Board considers this farm to be the catalyst for other farms to enroll in the farmland preservation program.

Currently, KelMar Acres works in nursery stock production.

The interactive story map includes 78 total farms within Long Valley, providing a brief description of all of them.

"We hope Morris County residents can use this story map to see the many permanently preserved farms, which ensure that agriculture will continue to flourish and contribute to the high quality of life in the Morris County," said Joe Barilla, Director of the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation.

The farmland preservation program allows farm owners to preserve, own, and maintain their farms autonomously.

Farming has been a part of Long Valley culture for decades, with some farms dating back to the 1800s. Ort Farms, for example, attracts visitors from all over the county for its fun-season events.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the Ort family settled in Long Valley.

Harvey S. Ort, son of William Ort, ran a farm on Spring Lane in Long Valley's Schooley's Mountain neighborhood. Jacob W. Ort, the son of Harvey S. Ort, moved from his father's farm on Spring Lane into the valley to their current location on Bartley Road in 1916.

All around the country, more casual farming styles became popular, with the idea of backyard hens serving as a cost-effective option for people during the war.

"During World War I, there were posters all over encouraging people to keep backyard chickens. Both for composting, improving the soil, and providing eggs for the family. During World War II, they encouraged farmers, particularly in New Jersey, to raise chickens for the troops overseas. Because we were on the East Coast, it was simple to ship them away," local farmer Marlena Schilke told Patch. "That is why there are so many old coops in New Jersey. People are always like, 'Why are there so many chickens in New Jersey?' Well, you know, World Wars I and II."

The newly created story map gives visitors a glimpse into the program's success as well as the diverse beauty of Long Valley agriculture and everything it stands for, including vegetable, fruit, livestock, equine, dairy, hay, grain and greenhouse operations and conservation.