Trenton, NJ — Richard Nieuwenhuis, president of New Jersey Farm Bureau, and owner-operator of Scenic Valley Greenhouses in White Township, Warren County, was elected to a third term on the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Board of Directors. He serves as a representative of the Northeast Region, which includes New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and nine other states. The American Farm Bureau, with 6.2 million members, has four representative regions: northeast, south, mid-west and west. It is headquartered in Washington DC.
Nieuwenhuis has served New Jersey's agriculture community for more than 20 years, successfully leading the NJ Farm Bureau through often trying times, since 2002. He was appointed to the State Board of Agriculture by Governor Whitman in 1994, and served as its president in 1997-98. He chaired both the nominating committee and the committee to revise the New Jersey Right to Farm Act.
Beth Pool, co-owner of Sebowisha Farms, Mickleton, Gloucester County, was also re-elected for a third term on the AFBF Women's Leadership Committee. Pool has served on the New Jersey Farm Bureau Women’s Committee for more than 30 years, six of which as state chair. The importance of the women's leadership in agriculture was duly noted in an AFBF statement: "As the number of women as principal operators on farms and ranches increases, so will the role of women in agriculture leadership. The possibilities for involvement in the industry are limitless and the goal of our committee is to provide the leadership tools needed to make a difference."
The AFBF's mandate this year is to scrutinize the new Farm Bill, due in 2012. The organization has endorsed rewriting policy to establish a program that protects farmers from catastrophic revenue losses that can threaten the viability of a farm or ranch.
For further information, contact the New Jersey Farm Bureau, at The Farmhouse, 168 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608. Phone 609-393-7163; fax 609-393-7072; email mail@njfb.org; website www.njfb.org
The New Jersey Farm Bureau is a non-profit member organization of 11,000+ farmers and farm-related individuals within the Garden State. It is the only organization solely dedicated to representing the grass- roots interests and directives of its members in educating all levels of government and the public on the farm community’s policies and positions. The Farm Bureau also takes a lead in seeking out initiatives, activities and ventures to enhance the profitability of producer members and ensure the viability of agriculture in New Jersey — the Garden State for Good Reason — our farms.
Source: The New Jersey Farm Bureau
