umrit farm - practices

umrit farm (owned by naturally nurturing) has been in operation for almost 10 years with a belief to farm naturally, let the community participate. we believe everyone should be able to sharpen the intellect and take ownership of being an individual, to be empowered, to be able to make choices, of what environment to live in, what foods to eat, what health to keep, what to share with the next generations. we grow produce, to experience and celebrate the ethnicity and share the knowledge of healthy benefits. we should bring our ancestral ethnic wisdom to light and add to it. our children should get to know their roots, traditions and cultural practices adding to their choices.

we farm based on the intelligence gathered over millenniums, by observing nature and natural processes. the farm is seeking to make use of biomass and practices:

1. wood chips (biomass)

2. wood logs (biomass)

3. biochar (practice)

4. hügelkultur (practice)

nj state agriculture development committee (sadc) is to review the past practices and determine validity of the practices. this page is to help you get informed.

please take a few minutes to review and if you feel provoked to present your opinion at the public comment, please take the opportunity to join in person, over online meeting, phone or write in. you may choose to present yourself as anonymous, individual, may add your professional credentials.

we encourage you to participate. we are not encouraging for favorable opinion. you should encourage others as well. emphasize the importance and how we further the cause. this matters to everyone as the food we eat comes from soil, contributed by the environment and climate.

to be informed you can review these links, soil test results, wood chips, wood logs, biochar, hügelkultur and much more at this website.

further your involvement beyond paying taxes, as the farmland is preserved, with taxpayers funds.

you may seek additional information, by reaching out to us or nj sadc.

nj sadc meeting minutes - apr, 2020 excerpt

A. Stewardship

1.     Review of Activities on a Preserved Farm - Naturally Nurturing, LLC

Block 205.11, Lot 48.05

49.6 Acres, Hillsborough Township, Somerset County

SADC ID #18-0097-EP

Mr. Roohr stated that Mr. Yash Patel is the owner of Naturally Nurturing, LLC and since acquiring he property in 2016, he has constructed a home and high tunnel on the exception area and has experimented with crops and livestock in order to create sustainable and organic practices. Mr. Patel applied to the SADC and Somerset CADB to construct hügelkultur beds and create and apply biochar to a small portion of the farm. Hügelkultur is new to the SADC and the request is site specific to this farm and landowner.

Mr. Roohr explained that hügelkultur is a practice where a trench is dug and filled with tree parts of various sizes and other organic matter and a mound is built up with soil on top. After 12 months the wood decomposes and the nitrogen levels settle to a point where seedlings can be planted directly into the mound. Over time the soil nutrients, the additional organic matter and the soil moisture capacity are improved and provide a great growing medium for 5 to 7 years.

Mr. Roohr explained that biochar is a practice where wood is converted into charcoal through a pyrolysis process or oxygen deficit process. Application of the material to the soil is beneficial to the soil and is a highly stable form of carbon that lasts for a long time and improves soil fertility and stimulates plant growth while reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. It also provides a sustainable foundation for microbes and fungi to adhere to the soil.

Research shows that hügelkultur and biochar are good soil practices; however, neither SADC, Rutgers Extension nor National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) have practices for hügelkultur. NRCS does have a practice for biochar but that’s in the context of forestry and has not been adopted in NJ. There were no examples of this practice in NJ to refer to and that’s what brings the request before the Committee today.

In 2017 Mr. Patel had tree logs brought to the farm to use in these practices, but due to the uncertainty surrounding the practices he was proposing, SADC staff requested that he delay implementation until further information could be assembled. The initial concern is that the proposed deposit of tree logs could violate the deed of easement (DOE) prohibition against dumping certain materials on the preserved farm . After researching the issue, staff determined that both these practices are legitimate soil practice amendments and recommend that both be used as a pilot program with a few conditions.

Due to the fact that these practices are not used in NJ, staff recommends building into an approval the ability of the CADB and the SADC to study the affected areas of the farm. Mr. Roohr stated that staff recommendations for biochar are that all state and federal permits must be obtained prior to producing the material; the application rate of biochar shall not exceed 18 tons per acre; and the biochar application shall be limited to the 3.5 acre area shown on schedule A of the farm map.

The staff recommendation for hügelkultur is that the trenches are no more than 18-24 inches in depth, and all topsoil shall be reincorporated into the upper layer of the hugels. For both biochar and hügelkultur, staff recommends that as a condition of approval, the CADB and SADC is permitted access to the soil for testing, and if both practices have a negative impact on the soil, those impacted areas of soil will count toward soil disturbance on the landowner’s property.

It is recommended that the landowner also enter into an agreement with the CADB and SADC acknowledging the terms of this pilot program; the owner shall utilize the existing Open Session Minutes April 23, 2020 stockpile of wood for this project before bringing any new wood material onsite and no new wood shall be brought onto the site without approval of the CADB and SADC.

At its February meeting the Somerset CADB reviewed this request and agreed this project should be allowed as a pilot under the conditions previously mentioned and that is staff’s  recommendations. Mr. Roohr noted that Mr. Patel was in attendance at the meeting if the Committee had any questions for him.

Mr. Schilling stated that although Rutgers Cooperative Extension has not participated in the practices of hügelkultur and biochar in NJ, Rutgers is familiar with it and feels they are viable practices that can be learned from. Mr. Waltman commented that the application of biochar helps to sequester carbon out of the atmosphere and into the soil and the thought is that it will help address climate change and he looks forward to supporting the pilot.

It was moved by Mr. Germano and seconded by Mr. Schilling to approve the request for Naturally Nurturing Farm, LLC to use hügelkultur and biochar practices as a site specific pilot program, with the conditions as set forth in the accompanying staff memo. Mr. Norz recused from the vote as he is a member of the Somerset CADB. A roll call was taken and the remaining members unanimously approved the motion.

nj sadc meeting minutes jun 2025 excerpt

A. Stewardship

1. Review of Activities: Naturally Nurturing Farm, LLC, SADC ID# 18-0097-EP, Hillsborough, Somerset Co., 46.84 net acres.

NOTE: Mr. Norz recused himself on this matter

Mr. Roohr stated that Naturally Nurturing received prior approval for a pilot project to do both hügelkultur and biochar, which the landowner claimed would result in beneficial soil amendments and increase productivity. At the time, the concepts were new to the SADC and he committee approved a conditional pilot program to take place on a small area of the farm. The conditions under which the committee approved the project are not being met and Somerset CADB, the easement holder, has found the landowner in violation for importing excessive amounts of wood material and for potential illegal dumping.

Mr. Willmott stated the 46-acre farm with a 5-acre non-severable exception area was preserved by the county in 1997 and was purchased by Naturally Nurturing Farm, LLC in 2016. Mr. Yash Patel, principal of the LLC, is the farm operator and grows grains, herbs  and diversified vegetables. The property includes three hoop houses located on the preserved area and one hoop house and one residence inside the exception area.

In 2017, Mr. Patel started to import wood material and create stockpiles on the farm with the intended purpose to construct hügelkultur mounds and generate biochar as a soil amendment. Due to the volume of material, the township health department cited code violations unless it could be determined the material served an ag purpose. Mr. Willmott highlighted the conditions of the pilot program’s approval such as trench schematics, use of the existing wood stockpiles before bringing any new material onto the farm, and that no new wood could be brought on site without SADC and CADB approval.

In January 2025, the Somerset CADB conducted a site visit and observed large amounts of woodchips and wood material. It was determined Mr. Patel was in violation of the approved pilot program. SADC staff conducted three site visits with CADB staff over the next five months. Mr. Willmott reviewed pictures of the farm with the committee and stated Mr. Patel has continued to bring in wood material and his activities are inconsistent with the pilot program.

Mr. Willmott stated the CADB has issued several violation letters for the importation, burying and spreading of wood material, and has requested Mr. Patel to stop bringing in additional material until the violations are addressed and necessary approvals are received. In April 2025, SADC staff issued a letter noting potential violations of paragraphs 6 and 7 of the DOE and requiring a conservation plan for mulching, biochar, the sawmill operation and the log stock piling for pollinator habitat and mushroom production. SADC staff determined that without the pilot program, the activities are inconsistent with the DOE and the current activities are inconsistent with the pilot program approval. Staff’s recommendation is to require the owner to achieve DOE compliance within 60 days as stated in the SADC April letter, and that failure to comply could result in a DOE violation and the termination of the pilot program.

Mr. Patel stated the hügelkultur and biochar activities have improved the farm’s productivity since 2017 and would like more of an explanation as to how this is considered a violation. Secretary Wengryn stated these activities are occurring outside of designated areas and at a larger scale than the pilot program conditions. Mr. Patel stated the original locations were deemed not ideal for hügelkultur and biochar due to water movement, ag infrastructure and crops. Mr. Schilling noted the infrastructure was built after the pilot program approval. Mr. Patel stated that at the time of the approval, the locations seemed to be appropriate; however, he later determined other sites would be better.

Mr. Roohr stated staff is concerned that the committee approved a pilot area for hügelkultur mounds that would be 24 inches deep and 4 feet wide and no new material would be brought onsite until all the existing material was used. Today, those mounds are 20 feet wide and 6 feet deep and new material has been consistently brought to the farm. Mr. Patel questioned why he could not use logs to grow mushrooms on and why mulching was considered a violation. Mr. Roohr reiterated the committee is concerned that the 2020 approval conditions are not being followed as well as the volume of mulch being used on the farm. Staff has requested a conservation plan that would detail the amount of material needed and best uses of the material to meet the goals of the farmer.

Ms. Katelyn Katzer, Somerset CADB, stated the county had additional concerns about impacts to the land due to water movement, complaints from neighbors, and potential issues for future farmers. Ms. Katzer stated the county is concerned that Mr. Patel is implementing new practices on the farm without guidance and approval from the CADB or SADC. Ms. Katzer asked the SADC for guidance regarding DOE compliance and to ensure that as Mr. Patel moves forward, he gets the appropriate support that he needs. Ms. Katzer also reiterated the importance of obtaining an approved conservation plan.

Mr. Roohr summarized the criteria to obtain an approved conservation plan before any additional wood material is brought onto the farm to establish that the appropriate volume being applied is correct, provide a plan for the sawmill in terms of material needed and usage, and a conservation plan for the mushroom habitat, or obtain an SSAMP for the activity from the CADB. Staff recommends a 60-day deadline to meet the requirements, otherwise the pilot program would be terminated, and the continued activity would be considered a violation of the DOE. Mr. Roohr asked the committee for consensus on or changes to the criteria. It was suggested by several members to give Mr. Patel more than 60 days to meet the requirements for the conservation plan and to ensure soil testing is included as a requirement. Ms. Katzer requested the SADC maintain the 60-day timeline with the ability to extend it if Mr. Patel shows he is making progress meeting the requirements.

After extensive discussion, the committee agreed to allow Mr. Patel, upon consultation with staff, to utilize the existing mulch as needed while obtaining the required conservation plans. Mr. Roohr stated staff would provide a resolution to the committee based on the discussions at today’s meeting.

nj sadc meeting minutes - jul 2025 excerpt

A. Stewardship

1. Resolution: Review of Activities

Naturally Nurturing Farm, LLC, SADC ID# 18-0097-EP, Hillsborough, Somerset County, 46.84 net acres.

NOTE: Mr. Norz recused himself on this matter

Mr. Willmott stated Naturally Nurturing Farm was previously discussed at the June SADC meeting and provided a brief review of the activities occurring on the farm. Mr. Willmott stated the Somerset CADB found this farm to be in violation of paragraphs 1, 6 and 7 of the deed of easement and requested an SADC review. Mr. Willmott stated the committee reaffirmed the pilot terms should be followed and Mr. Patel should not bring in any more wood material without CADB and SADC approval. Mr. Patel requested additional wood chips to mulch during the remainder of the season and the committee directed staff to determine the appropriate amount needed.

After a site visit and consultation with Mr. Patel, staff is recommending allowing 2000 cubic yards to be imported to the farm. This would accommodate mulching 2 acres at a maximum of 8 inches deep. If the committee approves the resolution, Mr. Patel will have 60 days to initiate obtaining a conservation plan that addresses the efficacy of the mulching, and the amount of material needed to achieve the farmer’s goals. Aside from the 2000 cubic yards, no more wood material may be brought onto the farm without the conservation plan.

Mr. Patel provided a detailed explanation of his farming practices, the benefits to his ag production and the soil and how it reduces the use of chemicals.

Secretary Wengryn reminded Mr. Patel that his biochar and hügelkultur practices were approved as a pilot program and there is evidence that the conditions of the pilot approval are not being followed. The advantages of these pilot practices need to be proven before they can be expanded, and a conservation plan is necessary for the farm to continue to operate.

Mr. Patel stated that he is aware of the conservation plan requirement but did not understand why he could not continue his practices since he claimed that the soil conditions improved. Secretary Wengryn stated the pilot program parameters must be complied with before an expansion can happen. Mr. Willmott stated that under the pilot program, no additional materials could be brought in without approval and that the investigation was triggered by Mr. Patel recently bringing in a large amount of logs and woodchips. Mr. Clapp stated it has been difficult to get this scope of mulching included into an NRCS conservation plan. Mr. Roohr stated that data for this scale of mulching does not appear to be available and the committee has to determine the level they are comfortable allowing.

Mr. Rosen stated that he’s experimented with hügelkultur and is in favor of Mr. Patel’s farming methods but expressed concern over the size and scope of what is occurring on his farm. Mr. Schilling stated the parameters of the pilot program were breeched and expressed concern that the resolution allows the landowner to expand his mulching practice.

Secretary Wengryn stated the SADC needs to see the scientific data and a comprehensive conservation plan before the SADC can determine if these practices are successful and allow Mr. Patel to expand them onto other portions of the farm.

After further discussion, the committee was in favor of the pilot program but determined it will require a conservation plan that includes mulching and comprehensive soil testing to establish if these practices are beneficial as soil amendments for agricultural production.

It was moved by Mr. Bullock and seconded by Ms. Niederer to approve Resolution FY2026R7(1), as presented, subject to any conditions of said resolution. A roll call was taken. Mr. Schilling voted against the motion. The motion was approved. A copy of FY2026R7(1) is attached to and a part of these minutes.