REPORT: Ag Sec. Brooke Rollins vows to stop township’s eminent domain seizure of family farm

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From Breitbart: Calling it a “Biden-style government takeover,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is promising to help a New Jersey family trying to save their 175-year-old farm from being seized by a local government to build “affordable housing” units.

The secretary also said the days of other family farm seizures across the country would soon be coming to an end.

Earlier this year, according to family member Andy Henry, the Cranbury, New Jersey, township government sent him a letter stating he could either accept an offer to buy the farm or it would be taken by eminent domain.

“My family sacrificed on this land for 175 years,” Henry told the Farm Journal’s AgWeb. “All the other farms disappeared. We did not. We will not.”

In a post on X earlier this week, Rollins announced, “On the phone with Andy Henry of Highland Ranch in Cranbury, NJ. The city govt has approved seizing his 175-year-old family farm via eminent domain for affordable housing units.

“Whether the Maudes, the Henrys or others whom we will soon announce, the Biden-style government takeover of our family farms is over. While this particular case is a city eminent domain issue, we @usda are exploring every legal option to help. ”

“Here is our portal if your farm has been the target of government overreach or lawfare,” Rollins added.

https://www.usda.gov/lawfare

A group on X called “Wake Up New Jersey” is drawing attention to the farm, Andy’s Farm, that the New Jersey township is trying to seize.

A GoFundMe account set up to help Andy’s farm has raise over $56,000. A description on the account includes the following:

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. Generations of Cranbury families recognize it instantly. To the children in town, it’s the magical “cow and sheep farm.” To the rest of us, it’s a quiet reminder that not everything good has to be paved over.

But now, the government wants to erase it.

Andy’s family has lived and worked on 1234 South River Road for over 150 years. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a legacy. It’s the sweat, the soil, and the soul of generations who believed that land wasn’t just something to sell—it was something to protect. Andy turned down every offer to sell. Developers dangled money—even above market value—but Andy said no. Because you don’t sell your family’s story. You don’t bulldoze your roots.

Then, one morning, Andy went to his mailbox—and everything changed.

No call. No visit. No conversation. Just a sterile, unsigned letter from a township-hired attorney. Not from a mayor. Not from a council member. A stranger. Telling Andy that the Township had decided to take his land for a massive housing project—over 200 homes. That if he didn’t “agree” to sell, he’d be dragged through a costly eminent domain battle that could bankrupt him.

That’s how Cranbury chose to treat a man who gave his life to this land and this town.

Let’s be clear: the Township had other options. There are other properties that meet the criteria. But they chose Andy’s farm. They chose the oldest, most loved, most recognized land in town. And they sent a lawyer to do their dirty work.

Andy is a humble, older man. He’s not a developer. He doesn’t have a lobbyist or a war chest. He [only has us. His neighbors. His community. Anyone who still believes in decency, dignity, and the simple idea that history is worth more than concrete.

We’re raising funds to help Andy fight back against this betrayal—to cover legal fees, to stand up to eminent domain, and to send a message that we will not let backdoor deals and bureaucratic coldness destroy what makes Cranbury special.

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.

Let’s show the Township that Cranbury isn’t for sale. Let’s show Andy that his sacrifices and his love for this land mean something.

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