Farms in E.B., Monroe preserved

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff The Warren livestock farm on Fresh Ponds Road in East Brunswick has recently been added to the state Farmland Preservation Program. Two area farms have recently joined the state Farmland Preservation Program, and plans are in the works to add three more early next year.

The development rights have been purchased for a 47-acre livestock farm in East Brunswick, owned by William Warren, and a 26-acre crop farm in Monroe owned by Edward Budrewicz.

The Warren farm, located on Fresh Ponds Road, cost $1.6 million. Of that total, the state contributed $995,000, the county $348,000 and East Brunswick Township $315,000.

The Budrewicz farm, on Gravel Hill-Spotswood Road, cost $644,000. The state paid $386,000 of that, while the county and Monroe Township each paid $128,000.

The Middlesex County Planning Department expects to add the 149-acre J.H. Barclay Trust farm and the 23-acre Barry and Geraldine Barclay farm, both on Orchard Side Drive in South Brunswick, and the 37-acre farm owned by John and Evelyn Gasko on Federal Road in Monroe, all by February.

Top, Mike Warren, brother of William Warren, feeds a bale of hay to the cattle in the barn yesterday morning. Linda Busch, of the county planning office, said state and county representatives continue to visit area municipalities to promote the expansion of the Farmland Preservation Program, which now includes more than 4,130 acres in Middlesex County. Farms in the program are permanently dedicated for agricultural uses and cannot be developed.

One such meeting was expected to take place in Monroe last night.

“Monroe has a lot of potential for preservation, so it’s an important municipality to visit,” Busch said. “Cranbury and Plainsboro are almost 100 percent preserved where the possibilities exist. There are more possibilities in South Brunswick, more in East Brunswick, and a lot in Monroe.”

William Warren, whose farm partially abuts the already-preserved Giamarese farm, said he actually decided to join the program in 2001, after township officials announced they were rezoning the area.

PHOTOSBY JEFF GRANIT staff Above, Mike Warren feeds the horses. The livestock farm has just been added to the Farmland Preservation Program. Warren said Mayor Bill Neary approached the local farm owners about the possibility of participating in the program.

“I had never intended to subdivide or splice up my property for profit anyway,” Warren said. “And it seemed like an easy way to be able to afford to maintain the property without being threatened by a developer.”

Warren grew up on the farm, which he purchased from his parents about 13 years ago.

He said part of the reason he ultimately decided to preserve the farm was so his young daughter, Erin, could enjoy it.

“I could have gotten $5 million for my land, as a dividable real estate, but then where do I go?” Warren said. “There’s value in peace of mind, versus finance, to me. So I just hope that someday, at the very least, my daughter benefits from it.”

Above, a bull at the Warren farm in East Brunswick snacks on some grain. The farm has been in Warren’s family for 36 years, though it was primarily a horse farm under his parents’ ownership. Warren now breeds cows, goats and pigs, and is considering sheep as well.

There are usually about 30 animals on the farm.

Warren also has three stepchildren and two nephews, and neighborhood children also visit the farm. He said local kids come to feed the animals regularly, and although breeding the animals is not exceptionally lucrative, he finds reward in the children’s enjoyment of the farm.

“It all revolves around the kids for me,” Warren said.

But the journey has been a difficult one for Warren, and he said many people do not understand the sacrifices involved in preserving the farm.

“Right away, people assume that you’re a millionaire, and you’ve got money to blow, and the world gave you a gift,” Warren said, adding that he may end up spending nearly double the money he received for the development rights just to maintain the farm.

PHOTOSJEFF GRANIT staff A goat plays in the field. The closing on the land took place earlier this month, but he noted that it took more than a year longer than expected.

But Warren said he does not regret entering the program, and that he fully supports what the county planning department is trying to accomplish. Farmland isn’t easily replaced, he said, and he wishes everyone could have had the great childhood he experienced on the farm.

Warren said his expenses should decrease in the near future, which will give him more financial breathing room. He said he loves the animals, and may even offer horseback riding lessons at some point.

His advice to farm owners is that they become knowledgeable about the program, so they will know what to expect if they choose to participate.

“My personal opinion is that anyone that’s going to pursue it, really give deep thought to the fact that it’s not an immediate process,” Warren said. “It is not a gift; it is something that you actually have to deserve, and be willing to accept.”