Mission Statement
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) is dedicated to supporting organic food and agriculture in New Jersey through education, technical assistance, and policy action.
NOFA NJ Overview
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) is a membership-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting organic agriculture in New Jersey through education, technical assistance and advocacy. NOFA-NJ is a unique collaboration among all stakeholders in the food system; its members and governing board include farmers, consumers, retailers, chefs, restaurants, processors, educators, researchers and more. NOFA NJ serves as a catalyst in the development of an organic agricultural system, providing assistance to both organic and conventional farmers, educating diverse audiences about the significance of organic practices for human health and the environment, engaging with public opinion makers, policymakers and the general public, and participating in numerous coalitions, research projects and community building activities.
NOFA NJ History
Founded in Pennington, NJ in 1985 as the Natural Organic Farmers Association of New Jersey, NOFA-NJ is an affiliate of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, a seven-state coalition of sustainable agriculture organizations. From 1989 until 1994, NOFA-NJ operated as part of the Sustainable Agriculture Program of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association. In 1994, NOFA-NJ obtained its own 501(c)(3) status. From the earliest days, NOFA-NJ has connected the organic farming community, publishing a newsletter, the Organic News, and other educational publications, including our “Eating Good Guides.” From 1991 through 1997, NOFA held an annual Organic Country Fair. Other projects undertaken in the nineties included an organic tomato cooperative, two book publishing ventures (Organic Market Guide and Eating Fresh from the Organic Garden State), an apprenticeship program, the first all-organic NJ farmers market, an annual winter educational meeting and a NJ Farm & Food Guide. In 1990, NOFA-NJ instituted an organic certification program for farms. In 2006, NOFA-NJ transitioned organic certification to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA). Today NOFA-NJ continues support certification and farming education and local food system partnerships throughout the state.
