The Agriculture Retention and Development Act was created as part of New Jersey's efforts to counteract the loss of farmland in the state.
In his message to the Legislature in January, 1971, Governor William T. Cahill announced his firm belief in the need for a Blueprint Commission on the Future of New Jersey Agriculture.
These groups covered business climate, research and education, production, marketing, management and commercial services, land and water resources, agribusiness, and organizations.
This effort centered on the real issue of establishing a permanent land base for a continuing agriculture in the Garden State.
Published in April 1973, the Report off the Blueprint Commission states: "Agriculture in New Jersey operates in the most densely populated area in the nation, hence has both problems and opportunities.