Department of Agriculture Archives Showcase Freehold's Farming History

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture unveiled an online data- and image bank Wednesday. The collection features more than 7,000 vintage photographs produced by the Department of Agriculture to document farming in New Jersey from the late 19th century through the 1970s. Of these, more than 2,000 photos have been scanned and are now publicly viewable in the image bank at njarchives.org/links/agphotos.html.

Many of the photos showcase farming in Freehold, including apple sorting at Wemrock Orchards in the 1950s and veterinary examinations of cows at Maple Lawn Farm in the 1940s.

“This major historical resource created by the New Jersey State Archives is a monumental achievement,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “It illustrates not only the history of farming, but also the dedication of archivists to making that history accessible.”

In 1984, the State Archives acquired a vast collection of historical photographs from the Department of Agriculture, originating as a public information photo file soon after the Department was created in 1916. The images were used for publication in bulletins and reports, press releases and simply to document agriculture and related industries in New Jersey. 

“Our photographs tell the story of New Jersey agriculture and demonstrate the Department’s mission to support and promote agribusiness and educate the public to agriculture’s vital role in the state,” said New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher. “We’re called the Garden State, and these images show us why.”

Secretary Fisher said the Department plans to contribute a current collection of agriculture photos to the archives project, to continue to document the industry’s growth and advances.