In 2003, as a new teacher of a high school agricultural education program, I was fortunate to connect with the circle of New Jersey agriculture teachers who taught in similar programs. During a conversation with a colleague, I was introduced to the term “gleaning,” which I learned is the act of harvesting surplus produce from farm fields. My colleague invited me to attend a gleaning with his FFA [originally Future Farmers of America] chapter at a local farm through a program called New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger. This sounded like a great experience for the class to gain valuable insight while working on a farm and making an impact in our local community.

This began the tradition of making an annual gleaning field trip to Strawberry Hill Orchards in Chesterfield, NJ. We were amazed that in two hours with a little effort, we could recover over 5,000 pounds of apples off the ground, feeding thousands. For students who did not grow up on a farm, this was their first introduction to seeing how food is grown and how much can go to waste. We were proud to be actively engaged in the Farmers Against Hunger mission.

In 2011, an opportunity came along for gleaning to become a more central part of my life. The position for director of the New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger program became available, and I made a leap-of-faith career change to take the position. This was an exciting time, and I looked forward to carrying on the success of the program, which had been operating since 1996.

The program was originally started by farmers who believed in finding an efficient way for their surplus produce to be delivered to people in need. Today, Farmers Against Hunger continues under the leadership of farmers as a program of the New Jersey Agricultural Society and recovers an average of 1.3 million pounds of produce annually. This is accomplished through donations from over 50 farms, wholesale produce suppliers and grocery stores. The program also engages a “Glean Team” of over 1,200 volunteers annually, including many high school agricultural education programs with FFA chapters. Over 70 community organizations distribute the produce free of charge to residents facing food insecurity. This is a community-wide effort that is bridging the gap between food waste and food insecurity.

At the time, I could not have asked for a more rewarding career.

However, several years later, I was offered a position as executive director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society and now have had the opportunity to work directly with all three of the society’s programs. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with a huge network of people who are influencing the future of agriculture in New Jersey.

Learning Through Gardening is the second of three programs operated by the New Jersey Agricultural Society. It is an affiliate program of National Agriculture in the Classroom, and provides materials and training to teachers to implement school gardens. The program currently supports nearly 30 schools statewide and provides activities such as Garden Pep Rallies, a Farm-to-City-Week Poster & Essay Contest and Teacher of the Year program.

As I interact with the pre-K and elementary school teachers in our program, I have the opportunity to hear teachers’ stories of their successes in their school gardens. As their students transform weed patches into gardens, taste spinach for the first time and experience the joy of pulling their first radishes from the soil, teachers share how Learning Through Gardening is making an impact in the lives of thousands of children who may not have otherwise had an opportunity to learn to grow their own food. Teachers share stories of kids finally “getting math” as they space plants and calculate growth patterns. We hear of others who have changed their food choices as a result of the program to include more vegetables.

We know that when children learn at an early age to appreciate fruits and vegetables, they are more likely to become lifelong fresh-produce consumers. At our recent Best Practice workshop, a teacher in the program shared, “Children are learning to make those healthy choices because it is embedded into their day-to-day lives.” One of the great success stories we hear is when our initial donation of a few garden beds and supplies develops into a community-supported garden, involving teachers, children, administration, school custodians, lunch staff, parents and local businesses. Again, this is a remarkable opportunity to involve directly the non-farm public in learning about agriculture. With recent legislation supporting school gardens, the time is now to prioritize and support programs such as Learning Through Gardening.

The New Jersey Agricultural Society is committed to educating both the non-farm public and the agricultural community and does so through its third program, the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program. This program provides educational programming to individuals involved in farming and agribusiness to become informed, articulate leaders. Students learn about innovative technologies through tours, guest speakers, articles and discussions, and conferences. The program is administered by Burlington County College as a program of the New Jersey Agricultural Society and is supported by the New Jersey Farm Bureau and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

Through the years, nearly 200 people have been trained, many of whom have gone on to serve in leadership roles on county and state boards and in their communities. Additionally, many students in the program form strong networks with their classmates and speakers, which help to improve their own agribusiness operations or career skill set. Some have even formed business partnerships with classmates, such as the case with Raj Sinha, who grows sunflowers for birdseed sold to the New Jersey Audubon Society as a result of taking the class with John Parke, who serves as Audubon’s stewardship director. This is just one of many success stories.

As I have the opportunity to work with the participants in the class and meet alumni and professionals in the industry who support the program, I am again thrilled to work directly with a program which is benefitting the agricultural industry and providing a valuable public service.

It is an honor to direct the oldest agricultural organization of its kind in the nation, operating since 1781. While I never knew a decade ago where I would be today, I feel fortunate that my roots continue to grow stronger in New Jersey agriculture. I look forward to growing a future in the industry. While historic in its roots, the New Jersey Agricultural Society continues to provide modern programs which assist the farm community and engage the non-farm public in agriculture. Today the society’s programs are supported by its 400 members and donors.

For more information about the New Jersey Agricultural Society or any of its programs, visit www.njagsociety.org.

(Kristina Guttadora is executive director of the New Jersey Agricultural Society)