Wantage woman represents farmers

Holly Sytsema of Wantage was sworn in to her second term on the state Board of Agriculture in July.

In her first term, she represented the dairy industry; now she is representing the livestock industry.

Sytsema, a fourth-generation farmer who co-owns and operates Windy Flats Dairy with her husband, Will, first was appointed to the state board in 2020.

She served as board president for one year. Her current term continues through 2029.

The board has eight members - half from northern New Jersey and half from the southern area of the state.

They are elected by delegates to the annual state Agricultural Convention, then recommended for appointment by the governor and approved by the state Senate.

Sytsema also has served on the Sussex County Board of Agriculture and the New Jersey Farm Bureau.

When she joined the state board, she focused on policies and how the Legislature works. She continues as a member of the board’s legislative committee and is working on bills to benefit farmers.

Problem with bears

Among the problems facing agriculture in New Jersey is keeping dairy farms.

Many times when bears look for food, they create crop circles, ruining a share of the crops.

The state board has supported the annual black bear hunt. Last year, 470 bears were killed, a harvest rate of 24.1 percent, above the state’s goal of 20 percent.

Getting all of the state board members on the same page to advocate for a cause can be difficult when what is detrimental to one section can be unnoticed in another, Sytsema said.

“We met with our other agricultural partners that are around the state and caught them up to speed with what was happening,” she said. “Obviously, they aren’t seeing the bear damage we are because they don’t have the same bear population that we have.”

The board also is united in support of Senate Bill 3446, which would establish a Farmland Assessment Review Commission to annually review and recommend changes to farmland assessment program.

In August, Sytsema met with state Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn and Allen Carter, president of the New Jersey Farm Bureau, on separate days during the New Jersey State Fair/Sussex County Farm & Horse Show.

Both men had a chance to hear farmers’ concerns at the fair. Among farmers’ main concerns were farm labor and the land assessment bill.

Grew up in Poconos

Sytsema grew up in the Pocono Mountains working at a campground that her parents operated along with her three sisters.

Her strong work ethic helped her transition into the life of a farmer, when she married her husband, Will.

In 2009, the couple won the New Jersey Outstanding Young Farmer Award.

“We were blessed to win ... we went to Oregon and competed against some fantastic farmers and saw some diverse operations from farmers across the country,” she said.

“Farming in New Jersey is very different compared to states like Minnesota; seeing how they farmed was very interesting to us. The experience was a blessing to us.”

Will grew up on Windy Flats working for his father. He and Holly bought out his father on the dairy side of the farm. After 10 years of operating that side, the couple bought out the crop side as well.

In June, they decided to sell all of their dairy cows and focus on beef. The main reason was the inability to find help milking the cows.

It was a big transition for them and has turned out to be a very positive one, Holly said.

The Sytsemas have four children, who all worked on the farm growing up. They now have their own careers, though a few help on the farm when they can.

Their oldest daughter teaches Spanish at Sparta High School. Their oldest son has a farm close by where he raises game birds (pheasants and chukars) and helps with the crops.

Their youngest daughter works in tech in Connecticut, and their youngest son works on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and helps out on the farm on weekends.