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New Jersey Agricultural Society elects officers and board trustees

The New Jersey Agricultural Society has elected new officers plus six trustees to its board.

Jerry Verrico of KMT Brrr is the new president; Jack Gallagher, a former chief of operations at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture who is now retired, is the new vice president; and Judi Marino, an owner of Sun Valley Orchards, is the new secretary. Steve Makarevich, branch manager at the Flemington, NJ, office of Farm Credit East, continues as treasurer.JerryVerricoJerry Verrico

The six new trustees elected are Ron Vreeland, operations manager at Viking Village and an alumnus of the society’s New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program; David Specca, owner of Specca Farms; Carolyn Gerdes, owner of Tier Haus Farms and an alumna of the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program; Chuck Zambito, owner of Zambito Produce Sales Inc.; Carl Schulze, who is retiring Nov. 30 as director of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Industry; and Richard Norz, owner of Norz Hill Farm & Market, who also serves as president of New Jersey’s State Board of Agriculture.

The society has also appointed a permanent position for the president of the New Jersey FFA Association to serve as a non-voting trustee. Kristianne Dowd, 2014-15 New Jersey FFA president, will be serving in this position.

“I am honored to be chosen as the next president of the ag society,” said Verrico. “I intend to do my best to move the society forward.”

Asked what his main goals were for the society going forward, Verrico replied that first is “to secure ongoing funding for our three programs,” which are Farmers Against Hunger, Learning through Gardening, and New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development.

“We also want to promote the New Jersey Agricultural Society to a broader audience and generate public interest,” he added. “We want to get our message out to the people of the state of New Jersey — to make them aware of what we’re doing.”

The New Jersey Agricultural Society is the oldest agricultural organization of its type in the United States. Established in 1781, its mission is to preserve and enhance agriculture, farming and related activities and businesses in New Jersey through educational, informational and promotional programs.

For more information on donor, volunteer or support opportunities, visit www.njagsociety.org.

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