Byron DuBois, a vegetable and grain grower from Salem County, has been named New Jersey’s 2024 Outstanding Young Farmer by the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. DuBois and his wife, Karen, are also among the ten finalists for the 2024 National Outstanding Young Farmer Award, to be presented at the National Outstanding Young Farmer Congress in Ferndale, Washington, from February 15-18. The couple was honored at the Joint State Agricultural Convention Banquet last week.
“The DuBois family has a storied history in New Jersey’s agricultural industry and Byron has done exemplary work in continuing a generations-long legacy,” said Joe Atchison III, New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. “Byron’s ability and willingness to use innovative, efficient, and environmentally friendly practices have allowed Spring Brook Farms to continue as one of the outstanding operations in the state.”
Byron is a seventh-generation farmer who learned many aspects of farming from his father, Henry. By his teenage years, he was operating equipment for spinach harvests and combining grain. During high school, Byron played a significant role in purchasing equipment for the farm. He later attended Delaware Valley College to study Agricultural Business Management.
“All I have ever wanted to do is farm,” Byron said. “It runs through my veins, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else as it is a passion and a love that I get to experience every day of my life with my family by my side.”
The primary crops grown on their more than 4,000 acres include various types of spinach (carryover, spring, fall, winter), sweet corn, tomatoes, field corn, soybeans, and wheat.
“Every season creates a new opportunity to start fresh,” Byron said. “That hard, honest work that goes into every season provides immeasurable rewards that fuel my appetite for farming.”
Over the years, Byron has led efforts to enhance efficiency on the farm by upgrading equipment for quicker harvests and employing GPS technology for precise planting and treatment methods. The farm uses detailed mapping information to identify specific soil types in fields for more economical fertilizer and irrigation use.
The DuBois farm participates in USDA programs like Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Natural Resources Conservation Service Irrigation Water Management Programs to reduce soil erosion while allowing water drainage without disturbing soil.
Karen DuBois contributes significantly despite being a full-time elementary school teacher. “Karen is an incredibly supportive wife in every aspect,” Byron said. “She helps prepare meals for late-working teams or assists directly with harvesting tasks.”
The DuBois farm actively engages with its community by volunteering resources such as its water tanker trailer at local fairs and hosting safety events for emergency management teams. It also supports local youth organizations like Little League and 4-H Club.
Byron follows in his father's footsteps; Henry DuBois was named New Jersey Outstanding Young Farmer in 1983.
The Outstanding Young Farmer (OYF) program is recognized as the oldest farmer recognition program in the United States since its inception in 1955. Its goals include fostering better urban-rural relations through understanding farmers' challenges and appreciating their contributions; generating interest in farming; and raising awareness about farmers' importance to America’s economy.
