State of New Jersey - Department of Agriculture

**About NJDA** Welcome to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), an agency which oversees programs that serve virtually all New Jersey citizens. The Department was established in 1916 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. [Click here](https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/about/secr/njdacentennial.shtml) to learn more. One of the Department’s major priorities is to promote, protect and serve the Garden State’s diverse agriculture and agribusiness industries. In addition to the programs we offer to support production agriculture, NJDA also manages programs that: - feed schoolchildren, - distribute surplus federal foods to soup kitchens and pantries that serve our needy citizens, - conserve precious soil and water resources, - protect farmland from development and preserve it for future agricultural use, - expand export markets for fresh and processed agricultural products, and promote our commercial fishing industry, and, - administer the complete program of agriculture, food and natural resource education,which includes the [State FFA Association.](http://www.jerseyageducation.nj.gov/agriculture/ag_ed/ "State FFA Association") The statute under which the Department of Agriculture is granted its authority is [New Jersey Statutes Annotated (N.J.S.A.) Title 4](http://njlaw.rutgers.edu/collections/njstats/showchapters.php?title=4). This webpage is maintained by the Rutgers School of Law and is updated daily. Rules that have been adopted by the State Board of Agriculture and/or the Secretary of Agriculture are contained in Title 2 of the [New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.)](https://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/njcode/). This webpage is maintained by LexisNexis and is updated concurrently with the publication of the printed updates to the New Jersey Administrative Code. The Department of Agriculture may be contacted concerning the nonfunctioning of either of these websites at: [contactagriculture@ag.nj.gov](mailto:contactagriculture@ag.nj.gov) or 609-913-6559.