Cumberland County nursery owner/manager Robert Blew and Hunterdon County nursery owner David DeFrange II were sworn in to their terms on the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture during the monthly meeting of the Board in Trenton recently. The session also included the annual officer reorganization where Burlington County’s Paul Hlubik was elected president and Somerset County’s Debbie Norz was elected vice president.

“Robert Blew’s farming expertise and experience provide an extraordinary benefit to the Board and to the entire agricultural community,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said.

Blew has been an owner/manager of Centerton Nursery for 18 years. His primary responsibilities have been product development, marketing, and digital content among other duties. Centerton Nursery is a third-generation operation that delivers more than 1,600 plant varieties to more than 900 dealers in 32 states while serving the independent garden center industry. Blew, along with siblings Donald, and Amy, operate the family business that was started in 1974 by their grandparents, and continued with their father Denny.

Blew is a Penn State University graduate with a degree in agricultural business management. Blew is a member of the Cumberland County Board of Agriculture, the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association and is a graduate of the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program.

DeFrange was re-elected to a second term on the board and has served as State Board president for the last two years. Hlubik and Norz have each served on the board since 2019. 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.