Trump administration, country music star come out in support of NJ farm against takeover

✅ Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she is looking at 'every legal option'

✅ Andy and Chris Henry have spoken to Rollins via phone

✅ Country TikTok star Claire Dunn posted a video in support

CRANBURY —  "Andy's Farm" is getting some big-name support in the battle over the township's plan to take the property as part of the township's fair housing plan.

The municipality sent a letter to Andy Henry, the owner of a 20-acre farm on South River Road, informing him and his brother, Christopher Henry, that the township was interested in the land and could take it by eminent domain.

The farm has been in the Henry family since the 1850s and is still used for farming where they lease out land to raise cows and sheep. It is surrounded by more than a dozen warehouses and abuts the busy New Jersey Turnpike.

The brothers have ginned up support across the state for their effort to preserve the land in one the country's most densely developed states.

Now they've gotten the attention of national figures.

Trump administration gets involved

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday said her office is getting involved in the case.

"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," Rollins said on X.

In a second post on X, she included a link to a portal for farm owners to report "government overreach or warfare."

Charles and Heather Maude are South Dakota farmers who were sued by the Biden Administration over 25 acres of land. Rollins dropped the litigation in April.

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Moved to tears

Former Cranbury Mayor Jay Taylor, who is helping the Henry brothers, said that Rollins and both brothers have spoken at length and found her "compassionate, caring and kind."  Andy Henry was nearly moved to tears by the conversation while Chris Henry was impressed that in a country the size of the United States,a member of the president's cabinet would show interest in such a local issue.

"She told him who she was going to be calling and having discussions with, and then gave Andy her personal cellphone number to to be able to communicate with," Taylor said.

On X, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli thanked Rollins and promised to end "overdevelopment to protect our suburbs, farms, & open space!"

Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill did not respond to a request for comment.

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'Death of rural America'

TikTok country star Claire Dunn, who grew up on a farm and has shared videos about what she calls the "death of rural America," posted a video in support of Andy's Farm.

Some of her statements about the land being sold to a developer are inaccurate, but the sentiment is clear.

"There is no clear benefit to putting in low-income housing where people can't even get to and from any kind of job they may have. There is no public transit, there's no sidewalks. This must stop," Dunn said.

The township committee will meet on June 26 to vote on a final affordable housing plan for 265 units. The plan must be submitted to the state by June 30.

Jahna Michal and Ginny Rogers contributed to this report

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