Family outraged by lawmakers' plans to seize farm they've owned since 1850 to turn it into affordable housing
A New Jersey family is fighting against lawmakers trying to seize the farm they have owned for 175 years to use the land for affordable housing.
Andy and Christopher Henry were shocked by a letter that said local officials want to take all 21 acres of their family's historic farmland in Cranbury on April 24.
Since receiving the unsettling news that the property - which has been in their family since 1850 - may be torn from them against their will, the Henrys have found themselves in an unbearable back and forth with the Cranbury Township Committee.
'Ever since then, we've been pushing back,' Andy concernedly told Fox News.
'And now they're saying, "Well, actually, we'll just take half of it and leave the house." That would leave us with a non-viable farm for at least 40 cows and many sheep.'
The proposal only requires 11.58 acres of the farm, My Central Jersey reported.
It consists of 130 apartments across six buildings, as well as a community center and an open space.
The attempted seizure of the farm is a part of an affordable housing plan the township committee rolled out, which allows officials to use eminent domain to assume the land.
Eminent domain means the government is allowed to take over land without the owner's consent.
The committee's decision stems from a state mandate that every town must build more than 146,000 affordable houses by 2035, NJ.com reported.
Andy and his family have refused several developer offers over the years, so the possibility of the land being taken from them anyway is more than disheartening.
'It makes me feel terrible,' Andy told Fox News. 'We just wanted to be left alone and take care of our place like my ancestors did before us.'
But the Henrys are not alone in their battle to keep what's theirs - with the Cranbury community and the Trump administration rallying behind them.
Signs throughout the quiet town read 'Save Andy's Family Farm 150+ Years No Eminent Domain.'
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has spoken out about the situation, declaring the 'Biden-style government takeover of our family farms is over,' on X Thursday evening.
'I urge the Cranbury, NJ Town Council to REJECT this proposal tonight.'
Rollins directly spoke with Andy to show her support last week.
'While this particular case is a city eminent domain issue, we at [US Department of Agriculture] USDA are exploring every legal option to help,' she said in a statement.
On Tuesday evening, Andy addressed the Cranbury Planning Board at a meeting, declaring he filed a lawsuit against them.
'Please don't let Cranbury join the ever-growing list of municipalities making these ill-informed and catastrophic decisions,' told the board after citing examples of eminent domain seizures that he also deemed unjust.
'We have filed a complaint with the Superior Court of New Jersey to stop this effort.'
A GoFundMe titled 'Save Andy's Family Farm – A 150-Year Legacy at Risk,' has been created by passionate community members and has already raised more than $123,100 for Andy's legal defense.
'If you've ever taken South River Road on your way to the NJ Turnpike, you've passed it—that beautiful, peaceful stretch of farmland where cows graze and sheep roam under open skies. That's Andy's farm,' fundraiser organizer Karen Herr DeRosa wrote.
'Andy turned down every offer to sell. Developers dangled money—even above market value—but Andy said no.
The community has been rallying behind Andy and his family as they battle for their land
'Because you don't sell your family's story. You don't bulldoze your roots.'
DeRosa claimed the township 'had other options' than to go after the Henry's farm, which she described as 'the oldest, most loved, most recognized land in town.'
'This isn't just a battle for one farm. It's a stand against a system that sees land as dollar signs instead of heritage.'
Cranbury Mayor Lisa Knierim previously defended the township's decision to go after the farm.
'Sometimes those decisions affect a smaller group, but it is for the long-term strength of our community,' she said, My Central Jersey reported.
'Sometimes those decisions come with strong emotional reactions as this one is evoking.
'It does not mean that this was an easy decision, but it is one that was done with an extraordinary amount of diligence which is what all of Cranbury deserves.
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