Though Madison has a number of community gardens, there are no large or mid-sized farms.  Nevertheless, soil suitable for farming is an important resource, and is also connected to geological characteristics important to ground water purification.  For this reason, the Madison Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) does explore soil types, and their suitability for farming.

Soil types suitable for farming were determined by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and posted by their GIS specialist.  The classifications for farmland soils include: Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance, Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance if Drained, and Farmland of Unique Importance.

There are 338 acres of forest cover in Madison, with many of these forested acres also designated as prime farmland.  Giralda Farms, the Madison Recreation Complex (MRC), and significant parts of Drew Forest and Memorial Park carry both forest and farmland designations.

Most soils described as prime farmland and farmland of statewide significance are located on the west side of Madison in Giralda farms, but also to the north in the MRC and to the south, where a golf course is located.

Understanding the locations and importance of prime farmland soils can help us make choices about its preservation, which contribute to vegetation health and important ecosystem services.  In 2022, Morris County published a draft farmland preservation plan, to contribute to greater intentionality in county-wide planning and zoning processes.  This is essential, and tied to equity, as New Jersey considers local redevelopment to make affordable housing more accessible.

About the data:

The New Jersey Important Farmland Soil Classifications are a product of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database. The classifications seen in this map were determined by the New Jersey State Soil Conservation Committee.  

The soils data studies go back a long way – NRC policy on prime farmlands were published in the “Federal Register” in 1978.  More information can be found at the NRCS website, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The New Jersey GIS dataset can be found online here.

Forest areas were determined by the NJDEP.

Access a downloadable one-page slide of this webpage here.

Access a full screen version of the embedded map, along with the detailed description, here.