Farm Location Descriptions - Cape Atlantic Conservation District

Vegetated Compost Filter Sock for
Establishing or Enhancing Pollinator Habitat
Conservation Innovation Grant Project
Farm Locations
Farm Locations
The farms selected for installation this conservation practice were required to meet the
following criteria. First, all had to contain one or more certain crops such as blueberries,
cranberries, beach plum, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers or other crops dependent
upon pollinators for production. In addition, all farmers had to be eligible to qualify for the
USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). District staff met with NRCS
Vineland and Columbus Field Offices to determine eligible farmers to participate in the
program. In addition to targeting specific crop types, the project was seeking to include farms
from across the Outer Coastal Province of New Jersey. Ten (10) farms were chosen to
participate in the project, two (2) farms in Cape May County, seven (7) farms in Atlantic
County and one (1) farm in Burlington County.
Each of the farms was characterized in terms of acres, soils series, production of crops and
adjacent biotic community. It is recognized that documented plants in the biotic community
surrounding the study area could impact the wildflower stand and consequently its use by
pollinators. The farms were assigned a location designation that was utilized throughout the site
documentation visits and to help indicate the documentation stations for each vegetated
compost filter socks. This designation was used in cataloging all photographs taken during both
the plant documentation visits and during pollinator documentation visits.
See Appendix A for individual farm location maps and descriptions.
Blueberry plants with drip irrigation and cover crop
with mature blueberry plants and adjacent wooded area in the background
Overall Farm Location Map
Farm C
Farm D
Farm G
Farm B
Farm A
Farm E
Farm F
Farm H
Farm J
Farm I
Farm Location A
Farm location A is a 57 acre blueberry farm located in Mullica Township, Atlantic County,
New Jersey. The soil series on the property includes Downer sandy loam (DoeA), Hammonton
loamy sand (HbmB), Berryland sand (BerAr) and Manahawkin muck (MakAt).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
The study area was in close proximity, approximately 15-25 feet, of established blueberry
fields. One field included mature plants, while another adjacent field contained recently
transplanted plants. Milkweed plants were noted growing close to the socks with other woody
vegetation in the vicinity of the study area as well. The vegetated compost filter sock was
installed adjacent to an eight foot tall wire deer fence which encircled the perimeter of the
property. The area outside of the deer fence was a heavy overhead canopy which included the
following tree species; red maple, black cherry and white oak. Understory species were
highbush blueberry and greenbriar.
Mature blueberry plants at the flowering stage
Farm Location B
Farm location B is a 70 acre vegetable farm located in Borough of Folsom, Atlantic County,
New Jersey. The soil series on the property includes Downer loamy sand (DocB), Matawan
sandy loam (MbtB), Galloway loamy sand (GamB), Sassafrass sandy loam (SacB) and
Evesboro sand.
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
These included Southern and northern red oak, bradford pear, black cherry, eastern red
cedar, pitch pine, poison ivy, and wild grape. The vegetated compost filter sock was located in a
field that is planted in a rotation of cucumbers and cover crop. The area southwest of the socks
consists of a well maintained turf grass cover of an adjacent commercial operation.
Field adjacent to socks being prepared for planting of cucumbers
Farm Location C
Farm location C is a 300 acre cranberry farm located in Southampton Township, Burlington
County, New Jersey. The soil series on the property includes Atsion sand (AtshA)Lakehurst
sand (LakB).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
The study area was placed such that majority of the surrounding area are bogs planted with
cranberry plants. Warm season grasses and chokeberry were present as part of a previous
NRCS wildlife habitat incentive program installation.
Fall foliage of cranberry bog
Farm Location D
Farm location D is a 13.3 acre blueberry farm located in the town of Hammonton, Atlantic
County, New Jersey. The soil series at the site includes Downer loamy sand(DocB) and
Galloway loamy sand (GamB).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
One side of the study area was in blueberry production while the other was a forested wetland.
Identified species included gray birch, wild cherry and willow oak with red maple being a
dominant species. Sweet pepperbush was abundant as an understory species.
The vegetated compost filter sock was installed adjacent to a newly planted field of blueberry
transplant bushes.
Newly planted blueberry transplants with drip irrigation and cover crop
planted between rows
Farm Location E
Farm location E is a 13.5 acre cranberry farm located in Mullica Township, Atlantic County,
New Jersey. The soil series on the property includes Manahawkin Muck (MakAt) and Downer
loamy sand (DocB).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
Along with cranberry plants, lowbush blueberry, arrowwood vibernum and sweet
pepperbush shrubs were present. Tree species included white pine and red maple. Water lilies
were present as well.
The vegetated compost filter sock was installed adjacent to a cranberry bog. The bog is not
flooded during the fall harvest. The crops grown in this bog are dry harvested and picked by
hand.
A view from the berm on which the socks were installed adjacent to the cranberry bog
Farm Location F
Farm location F is a 7.3 acre vegetable and fruit farm located in the City of Port Republic
Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey. The soil series on the property includes loamy sand
(GamB) and Atsion Sand (AtsA).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
Honey N’ Sweets Farms grows a varied number of vegetable species including tomatoes,
squash, eggplant, pepper and strawberry. The study area also included tree species such as
sweet gum, eastern red cedar, red maple and white oak. Understory flora such as honeysuckle,
virginia creeper, arrowwood viburnum, american holly and willow oak were present.
Tomatoes planted in a high tunnel to help lengthen the harvest season
Farm Location G
Farm location G is a 216 acre blueberry and vegetable farm located in the town of
Hammonton, Atlantic County, New Jersey. The soil series located on the property includes
Downer loamy sand (DocB), Downer sandy loam (DoeA), Hammonton sandy loam (HboA),
Galloway loamy sand (GamB), Galloway loamy sand clayey (GamkB), Mullica sandy loam
(MumA), Fort Mott sand (FobB), Sassafras sandy loam (SacA), and Evesboro sand (EveB).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
Dominant tree species included black gum and red maple while black cherry, red oak, sweetbay
magnolia and grey birch composed the remainder of the hardwood species. Sweet pepperbush
was abundant in the study area along with phragmites.
Irrigation pond adjacent to study area across from blueberry fields
Farm Location H
Farm location H is a 50 acre vegetable and blueberry farm located in Buena Vista Township,
Atlantic County, New Jersey. The soil series located on the property includes Woodstown
sandy loam (WoeA), Aura sandy loam (AugB), Downer loamy sand(DocB), Berryland and
Mullica soils (BEXAS), and Atsion sand(AtsA).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
Flora for the immediate area around the study area included tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and
leeks and blueberry plants. The vegetated compost filter socks were installed in the center of the
fields with significant distance (> 1,000 feet) from any adjacent wooded or meadow areas. This
area consisted primarily of white oak.
Field used for rotational planting of crops included eggplant
during the first year of the project
Farm Location I
Farm location I is a 12 acre vegetable farm located in Lower Township, Cape May County,
New Jersey. The soil series on the property includes Ingleside sandy loam (InnA) and
Hammonton sandy loam (HboA).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
Being a vegetable farm, flora of the surrounding area included tomatoes, lettuces, corn,
cruciferous vegetables and herbs such as rosemary, and thyme. Woody species included
mulberry, black gum, hackberry and black cherry, multiflora rose and privet. Goldenrod,
japanese honeysuckle, virginia creeper and pokeweed were identified around the study areas as
well.
Tomatoes were planted adjacent to the
project area during the second year of
the project
Farm Location J
Farm location J is two adjacent farms combined together to form a 20 acre parcel located in
Upper Township, Cape May, New Jersey. The socks were located adjacent to areas being
farmed for blueberries, vegetables and beach plum. The soil series located on the farm
includes Hammonton sandy loam (HboA).
Inventory of surrounding flora was conducted in order to provide for a more comprehensive,
complete study area. Specific species of the surrounding study area could have a bearing on
attracting pollinators and therefore, plant species were identified.
Douglas fir, blue spruce and norway spruce evergreen trees (in a Christmas tree plantation) are
dominant species near the study area. White oak, northern red oak, white pine and pitch pine
were the dominant native tree species. An area for planting of pumpkins and squash was
adjacent to one of the study area. Beach plum and blueberry plants were adjacent to the two
other areas on the parcel where the vegetated compost filter socks were installed.
Pumpkins planted adjacent to the vegetated compost filter sock
This material is
based upon
work supported
by the Natural
Resources Conservation Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
under award number
69-3A75-13-191.
Any opinions, findings,
conclusions, or recommendations
expressed in this publication are
those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Cape Atlantic
Conservation District
acknowledges the
contributions from
The Xerces Society
And Filtrexx International
6260 Old Harding Highway
Mays Landing, NJ 08330
(609) 625-3144
www.capeatlantic.org