By: Shane Bagot
Burlington County states that it is recognized as one of the leading agricultural counties in the country. Burlington County has a long-standing history with the practice, developing a long and diverse range of operations. This is possible because of the county’s more than 67,000 acres of preserved farmland.
To celebrate the county’s agricultural heritage and promote agriculture, the Burlington County Bridge Commission is putting on the Harvest Dinner for its second year. It will be held at the Burlington County Agricultural Center on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The Harvest Dinner is a showcase of locally sourced ingredients from the region for residents to enjoy. It is limited to just 100 participants. Dinner is prepared by the culinary students of Rowan College at Burlington County. It is an opportunity for farmers, residents, and advocates to engage with agriculture.
The Burlington County Bridge Commission is a public agency that provides commuters with bridge operations and maintenance. The commission approached the New Jersey Agricultural Society team at one of its gleaning opportunities in Delran. The commission wanted the society to be the beneficiary, as the two organizations would put their small teams together to arrange the dinner.
The New Jersey Agricultural Society was created by farmers as a way to come together, share thoughts, and learn more about the new land they were inhabiting in 1781. Agriculture is the oldest industry in our country and holds a great deal of importance in New Jersey.
Of the food the society rescues from going to waste through its Farmers Against Hunger program, 1.6 million pounds stays in Burlington County. It is the home base of the society, according to Director Stacey Kennedy. The society enjoys working with Burlington County and appreciates all of the work the county provides for the state.
“Burlington County does it best. They’ve preserved the most farmland out of the entire state. Not only are you guys [Burlington County] the biggest county, you’re the most ag-focused county, and you have the most preserved farmland. Burlington County is doing an amazing job at educating its residents, and the county officials are doing a wonderful job at keeping farmland preserved as the county grows and develops,” said Kennedy.
The society and the commission are using the dinner as a chance to bring attention to the agriculture happening all around them. For Kennedy and the rest of the team, the best way for the public to appreciate and better understand it is to feed it to them. Kennedy mentions that the Garden State is known not only for its tomatoes and peaches, but now its eggplants. According to Britannica, in a post from January of this year, the state is the top producer of eggplant in the country, with 26 million pounds a year.
Bringing attention to New Jersey’s practices and status as an agricultural enterprise in the United States is of the utmost importance to the society and commission.
“There’s a lot more education that needs to be done about educating people not to go to big box grocery stores, but that there are so many beautiful farm stands along the way that you could stop at and then go to the big box grocery store after to supplement,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy mentions how events like COVID have shown the potential for disruption in our larger food systems. It is more essential in times like these to be aware of where food comes from locally. The more technology-driven future that is on the horizon creates more opportunities to stay grounded in the local food system.
The commission and society hope that participants take this chance to learn more about how to get involved in their everyday lives. Kennedy and the society promote their Farmers Against Hunger volunteer program as a way to get out on the farms. Residents should make trips to fresh, open-air markets to become better connected with the community. The idea is ultimately to be supportive of and active with local farmers.
“An everyday person talking to a legislator about something that’s in their interest, you have to take a number, get in line, and all of that. When a farmer comes up and they want to talk to somebody. They get right in and are able to talk to them, and it’s really amazing because maybe we all don’t realize it, but food is important, and a strong local food system is really important. It can only be as strong as the people that support it,” said Kennedy.
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