Most folks with connections to New Jersey know that our state nickname is “The Garden State” Today, it can be seen on our license plates and has been used in catchy advertising campaigns, but the truth of the matter is that we got our name not without a little resistance, or to put it bluntly… for no good reason at all.
While out to brunch two weeks ago, my friends Lori of Legacy Roots and Joan of NJ Heirs & Ancestors got to talking about our Garden State nickname, and Lori shared that she had read that it dates from the Revolutionary War period and was due to the soldiers receiving their food stuff from the “gardens of New Jersey”. Hmmm, I thought to myself… is the land of The Sopranos and Jersey Shore really that into agriculture?
And, that answer is YES! I am proud to report that New Jersey is home to over 9,000 farms encompassing 790,000 acres of farmland.[1] That’s almost 17% of our state, folks! We make the production charts for blueberries, cranberries, spinach, head lettuce, bell peppers, and peaches (watch out Georgia!).[2] Really not too shabby for a state that’s also known for the question “What exit?”
What’s all this Garden stuff have to do with genealogy, you ask?
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