NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) Helps Bring First “Jersey Grown” Sunflower Seed to Market

Thanks to an NRCS CIG, the first black oil sunflower seed for birds ever certified and labeled “Jersey Grown” by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture is now available exclusively at New Jersey Audubon Society nature centers.  In a unique partnership between New Jersey Audubon Society and New Jersey farmers, black oil seed, the uncontested favorite seed of most birds visiting feeders, is now grown for use in the society’s annual birdseed sales.  The result is better, more environmentally friendly, locally-produced sunflower at a lower price to the consumer. Locally-produced black oil sunflower seed also promotes viable agriculture in the most densely populated State where pressure on agriculture is ever-increasing. 

Farmers Jim and Thomas Laine, Mark Kirby of Somerset County, and Tom Zeng of Hunterdon County worked on the project.  Kirby, who serves on the Somerset County Agricultural Development Board and is the Regional Soil Conservation District Supervisor, said that what attracted him to the project was "an opportunity to expand our market into an area that will enable us to be more profitable and be able to stay farming.”

Most black oil sunflower seed is grown in the upper Midwest, primarily in North and South Dakota.  The annual birdseed sale has been an important fundraiser for New Jersey Audubon Society for decades but sunflower prices have followed those of other commodities, escalating exponentially with the rise of fuel prices.  The New Jersey Audubon Society made an agreement with three central New Jersey farmers in early 2008 to grow black oil sunflower seed. The resulting crop was grown in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, bagged and delivered by the farmers straight to market through the New Jersey Audubon Society’s nine nature centers statewide.

The seed is “greener” not only because of greatly reduced trucking distances, but also for every 5 acres planted for sunflowers, one acre is being planted to grassland habitat that will support critically endangered nesting songbirds – right alongside the fields of sunflowers.

“This is a win-win project for everyone involved,” said President of the New Jersey Audubon Society Tom Gilmore.  “We paid the farmers a premium rate that exceeds the average commodity price and even voluntarily renegotiated with the farmers to pay them more after fuel costs went through the roof this growing season.  Still, their wholesale rate to us was much lower than what our traditional wholesaler could offer.  In turn, we passed the savings on to our customers.”  Even more important than that, added Gilmore is, “the birds are the biggest winners because we are using a portion of our revenue from birdseed sales to directly feed back into our conservation work.”
Your contact is New Jersey Audubon Society Director of Conservation Troy Ettel at 908-420-7363.