Not to be confused with “Farmer” or “Farm Use” plates, New Jersey has a license plate dedicate to celebrating agriculture throughout the state. It is dubbed the “Garden State” after all, so honoring food producers sounds perfectly on brand.
Known as the “Promote Agriculture” specialty license plate, New Jersey debuted the plate in 2001 as a way “to call attention to the Garden State’s vibrant agriculture industry.” It was created thanks to lobbying of the New Jersey Farm Bureau and passed into law via a bill sponsored by Republican state Sens. Robert Singer and Martha Bark and Republican Assemblymen Christopher “Kip” Bateman and Peter Biondi.
The plate is available for passenger, commercial, farm use and farm vehicles at a one-time cost of $20, with no yearly renewal fee. Want it personalized: that’ll cost cost $70.
Officials say that the design was “chosen by the agriculture community.” The state has 9,883 farms spanning 734,000 acres, which is about 15 percent of the state’s total land area.
New Jersey grows over 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables, with the major ones being apples, blueberries, cranberries, and peaches. It ranks second in the nation in peach production, growing 56.3 million pounds. It’s fourth in the nation in cranberry production, fourth in bell peppers, fourth in spinach, and sixth in blueberries.
The market value of agricultural products sold in the state tops $1.1 billion.
