The New Jersey Agricultural Society is proud to recognize NJAS Vice President Paul Hlubik on his appointment as Chair of the New Jersey USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee.
Announced by the USDA Farm Service Agency on April 16, 2026, the newly appointed committee includes five respected leaders in New Jersey agriculture:
* Paul Hlubik
* James Abma Jr.
* Alfred Murray
* Raj Sinha
* James Wenger
For NJAS, this announcement hits especially close to home.
Paul currently serves as Vice President of the New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Executive Board of Trustees. Alfred Murray also shares strong NJAS ties, having previously served as the Society’s Executive Director in addition to many other prominent leadership roles throughout New Jersey agriculture. Several appointed members also have ties to the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program, further highlighting how deeply NJAS programs continue to shape agricultural leadership across the Garden State.
For nearly 250 years, the New Jersey Agricultural Society has invested in educating, mentoring, and elevating leaders across agriculture — and this latest appointment serves as another powerful example of that legacy in action.
Paul owns and operates a multi-county farm recognized for corn, soybeans, and sorghum. He also brings decades of experience in farm management, production agriculture, and agricultural policy from both the state and federal levels.
His background includes serving as FSA State Executive Director in New Jersey, as a farmer-elected county committee member, and as a member of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture.
“Not just as Vice President of the Ag Society, but as a member of the farm community, as a farmer, and as someone who has a close relationship with the Farm Service Agency, I’m extremely honored,” Paul said. “It’s definitely an honor whenever an administration asks you to serve, and I want to do the best I can by the farm community.”
For Paul, this appointment is also something of a full-circle moment.
“In my past history, I’ve been a county executive director with the Farm Service Agency. I’ve been a farmer-elected county committee member. I was the state executive director in two administrations,” he said. “So this kind of completes my service in the federal government. It allows me to serve in a lot of capacities.”
According to USDA, members of the FSA state committee are responsible for “the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders and keeping producers informed about current FSA programs.”
Paul also spoke about the importance of FSA as a bridge between farmers and the federal government, especially when producers are facing challenges such as weather events, rising input costs, crop loss, and access to capital.
“Farmers are always in need of cash flow, capital, and information. Farmers need an advocate,” Paul said. “We are that bridge and liaison between what’s going on on the ground with farmers and what’s going on within the federal government.”
That connection is especially important in a state like New Jersey, where agriculture is as diverse as the communities it serves. Paul noted that New Jersey’s agricultural landscape spans traditional grain farming, vegetables, specialty crops, blueberries, cranberries, mushroom production, seafood and aquaculture, livestock, agritourism, and a growing urban agriculture movement — all contributing to one of the most unique agricultural economies in the country.
Paul’s appointment also speaks to the long-term impact of leadership development within New Jersey agriculture.
Through his involvement with NJAS and the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program, Paul has helped support and mentor emerging leaders across the industry throughout his career as both a farmer and advocate.
“I have seen these individuals grow, and I have seen the number of incredible advocates for the industry who have come out of the program,” Paul said. “There are so many people throughout the agricultural industry in the state who are graduates of that program. It makes me very proud to have been part of seeing that and seeing so many of them grow.”
For NJAS, this appointment is a proud reminder that the Society’s work does not just live in programs, events, or classrooms. It lives in the people who continue to serve, lead, and advocate for agriculture across New Jersey and beyond.
Announced by the USDA Farm Service Agency on April 16, 2026, the newly appointed committee includes five respected leaders in New Jersey agriculture:
* Paul Hlubik
* James Abma Jr.
* Alfred Murray
* Raj Sinha
* James Wenger
For NJAS, this announcement hits especially close to home.
Paul currently serves as Vice President of the New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Executive Board of Trustees. Alfred Murray also shares strong NJAS ties, having previously served as the Society’s Executive Director in addition to many other prominent leadership roles throughout New Jersey agriculture. Several appointed members also have ties to the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program, further highlighting how deeply NJAS programs continue to shape agricultural leadership across the Garden State.
For nearly 250 years, the New Jersey Agricultural Society has invested in educating, mentoring, and elevating leaders across agriculture — and this latest appointment serves as another powerful example of that legacy in action.
Paul owns and operates a multi-county farm recognized for corn, soybeans, and sorghum. He also brings decades of experience in farm management, production agriculture, and agricultural policy from both the state and federal levels.
His background includes serving as FSA State Executive Director in New Jersey, as a farmer-elected county committee member, and as a member of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture.
“Not just as Vice President of the Ag Society, but as a member of the farm community, as a farmer, and as someone who has a close relationship with the Farm Service Agency, I’m extremely honored,” Paul said. “It’s definitely an honor whenever an administration asks you to serve, and I want to do the best I can by the farm community.”
For Paul, this appointment is also something of a full-circle moment.
“In my past history, I’ve been a county executive director with the Farm Service Agency. I’ve been a farmer-elected county committee member. I was the state executive director in two administrations,” he said. “So this kind of completes my service in the federal government. It allows me to serve in a lot of capacities.”
According to USDA, members of the FSA state committee are responsible for “the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders and keeping producers informed about current FSA programs.”
Paul also spoke about the importance of FSA as a bridge between farmers and the federal government, especially when producers are facing challenges such as weather events, rising input costs, crop loss, and access to capital.
“Farmers are always in need of cash flow, capital, and information. Farmers need an advocate,” Paul said. “We are that bridge and liaison between what’s going on on the ground with farmers and what’s going on within the federal government.”
That connection is especially important in a state like New Jersey, where agriculture is as diverse as the communities it serves. Paul noted that New Jersey’s agricultural landscape spans traditional grain farming, vegetables, specialty crops, blueberries, cranberries, mushroom production, seafood and aquaculture, livestock, agritourism, and a growing urban agriculture movement — all contributing to one of the most unique agricultural economies in the country.
Paul’s appointment also speaks to the long-term impact of leadership development within New Jersey agriculture.
Through his involvement with NJAS and the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program, Paul has helped support and mentor emerging leaders across the industry throughout his career as both a farmer and advocate.
“I have seen these individuals grow, and I have seen the number of incredible advocates for the industry who have come out of the program,” Paul said. “There are so many people throughout the agricultural industry in the state who are graduates of that program. It makes me very proud to have been part of seeing that and seeing so many of them grow.”
For NJAS, this appointment is a proud reminder that the Society’s work does not just live in programs, events, or classrooms. It lives in the people who continue to serve, lead, and advocate for agriculture across New Jersey and beyond.
“I hope I’m just building on something I’ve already worked a lifetime to try to achieve.” — Paul Hlubik
The New Jersey Agricultural Society congratulates Paul Hlubik and all members appointed to the New Jersey FSA State Committee as they help shape the future of agriculture in New Jersey and strengthen the voice of producers at both the state and federal levels.
For the full USDA announcement, visit the United States Department of Agriculture and the Farm Service Agency.
For the full USDA announcement, visit the United States Department of Agriculture and the Farm Service Agency.