Wantage farmer Holly Systema sworn in to NJ agriculture board

Sussex County farmer Holly Systema and Cumberland County farmer Barney Hollinger were recently sworn in to their terms on the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture during a special virtual meeting of the board.

“Holly Systema and Barney Hollinger have a vast amount of knowledge and experience in agriculture in general and in their particular sectors, and will bring valuable perspectives to the State Board,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. “They will serve New Jersey farmers with great purpose, continuing the mission of advancing agriculture in our state.”

Systema and her husband, Will Systema, who was New Jersey’s Outstanding Young Farmer Award winner in 2009, own and operate Windy Flats Dairy in Wantage. It is a third- and fourth-generation farm that has a combined 250 dairy and beef cattle. The farm is approximately 800 acres and grows corn, soybeans, oats, rye, alfalfa, and grassy hay. Windy Flats is located adjacent to the Sunrise Mountain Valley, just minutes from the Appalachian Trail, and is a stop on the Tour de Farm Sussex County cycling race, one of two events in the New Jersey Tour de Farm cycling series.

Holly Systema has served on the Sussex County Board of Agriculture and is a member of the Sussex County Milk Producers, Sussex County Ag Society, New Jersey Holstein Association, and the New Jersey Farm Bureau. She also served three terms on the Farm Service Agency, County Committee.

Hollinger is the Special Projects Manager at Cape May Salt Oyster Farms in Port Norris, which is an oyster producing aquaculture company that harvested 2.5 million oysters while producing 18 million seed oysters in 2019. The company has the goal of selling five million oysters in 2020.

The State Board of Agriculture comprises eight members who serve for four years. By law, at least four of its members must represent the top commodity groups in the state. For more information, visit nj.gov/agriculture/about/sba.