Jess Niederer of Pennington was selected as a national winner at the 60th annual National Outstanding Young Farmers Awards Congress held February 11 through 14 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Four national winners were selected for the award from a group of 10 finalists. Winners were based on their progress in an agricultural career, extent of soil and water conservation practices and contributions to the well-being of the community, state and nation. Niederer is one of a handful of women to ever recieve this honor.
Guest Master of Ceremonies, Orion Samuelson (WGN Radio and “This Week in AgriBusiness” on RFD-TV), celebrated his 50th year as host of the event. He announced the four national winners and interviewed them for his show that will air in the coming weeks. The three other national winners for 2016 are from Connecticut, North Dakota and Washington. National winners received a savings bond from corporate sponsor John Deere and the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., during National Agriculture Week in 2017.
Following her graduation from Cornell University, Niederer launched Chickadee Creek Farm, where innovation has been key in her success as a farmer. In order to efficiently market her crops, she began the first Farmer’s Market CSA is New Jersey in 2010, beginning with 10 members and increasing to 280 last year. In 2012, Niederer’s farm was certified organic, and she has run trials on 367 varieties of vegetables and eight types of cover crops to determine the best quality and yields that will fall within the National Organic Program parameters.
Niederer creates 150 tons of compost per year using leaves from her municipality. Drip tape and micro sprinklers allow her to irrigate with minimal water, and contour slopes and filter strips reduce erosion. Her dedication extends off the farm, where she is volunteers extensively in her community as an EMT and an instructor for agricultural education projects ranging from elementary schools to farm business planning courses. She serves on an organic growers advisory group, the county board of agriculture, and Rutgers Ag Experiment Station Board, Farm Bureau and other farm organizations.
The NOYF program is the oldest farmer recognition program in the United States, selecting its first group of national winners in 1955.
