The Trump Administration steps in to defend a 175-year-old family farm from a New Jersey town’s attempt to seize it through eminent domain for affordable housing, highlighting the clash between historical property rights and local government mandates.
Key Takeaways
- The Henry brothers’ 175-year-old farm in Cranbury, New Jersey faces seizure via eminent domain for affordable housing despite the family’s refusal to sell.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has pledged to explore “every legal option” to help protect the historic family farm, signaling the Trump Administration’s support.
- The family has rejected developer offers up to $30 million and instead invested $200,000 in their land, which has been in their family since 1850.
- The proposed 130-unit affordable housing complex would be isolated among warehouses, raising questions about the suitability of the location for residential development.
Historic Family Farm Faces Government Seizure
A 175-year-old family farm in Cranbury, New Jersey has become the center of a heated battle between property rights and government overreach as local officials move to seize the land through eminent domain. Brothers Christopher and Andy Henry, whose family has owned the farm since 1850, are fighting to keep their ancestral property from being converted into a 130-unit affordable housing complex. The farm, which the family has carefully maintained and improved with a $200,000 investment, is being targeted despite the brothers’ firm refusal to sell and their rejection of developer offers reaching as high as $30 million.
The seizure attempt has shocked the Henry family, who never expected their local government would try to force them off their land. “It totally shocked us,” said Andy Henry, co-owner of the historic farm. The town’s decision is particularly puzzling given that the farm is surrounded by warehouse developments, making it a questionable location for residential housing. This decision appears to contradict the township’s own previous commitments to farmland preservation, raising serious concerns about the motivations behind the eminent domain action.
Trump administration pushes back on New Jersey town moving to seize 175-year-old family #farm via eminent domain —USDA's Rollins said she had been 'on the phone' with one of the farm's owners.https://t.co/9QFPFOaCMC
— FarmPolicy (@FarmPolicy) June 25, 2025
Trump Administration Intervenes
In a significant development, the Trump Administration has stepped into the fray to support the Henry family. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced that the USDA is investigating the situation and exploring legal options to assist the family in their fight against the local government’s seizure attempt. This intervention signals the administration’s commitment to protecting America’s agricultural heritage and defending property rights against government overreach, particularly in cases where local authorities may be overstepping their bounds.
“While this particular case is a city eminent domain issue, we at USDA are exploring every legal option to help,” said Brooke Rollins, U.S. Agriculture Secretary.
Rollins has taken a strong stance against what she characterizes as government takeover of family farms, stating, “We must protect family farms at all costs. Whether the Maudes, the Henrys or others whom we will soon announce, the Biden-style government takeover of our family farms is over.” This declaration reflects the Trump Administration’s broader policy objectives of defending traditional American values, including the sanctity of private property and the importance of family-owned agricultural enterprises to the nation’s cultural and economic fabric.
Town Claims Housing Mandate Forces Their Hand
Cranbury Township officials defend their actions as necessary compliance with New Jersey’s affordable housing mandates, which require towns to add or rehabilitate affordable housing units. Mayor Lisa Knierim has acknowledged the difficult position, stating, “No one is in favor of eminent domain. No one wants to see a farm disappear.” The township claims it must move forward with the plan to avoid potential legal challenges from developers that could result in even more extensive development. According to officials, the town plans to partner with Walters Group for the development project.
“This affordable housing’s going to be by itself, surrounded by warehouses. How is that a good decision and how is that fair to the low-income people who are going to live there?” said Timothy Dugan, a supporter of the Henry family.
Critics of the township’s plan point to the questionable logic of placing affordable housing in an industrial zone surrounded by warehouses. This location raises serious concerns about the quality of life for potential residents and suggests the decision may be more politically motivated than genuinely concerned with providing suitable affordable housing. The controversy has sparked significant public opposition, with local residents organizing fundraising efforts to support the Henrys’ legal battle to preserve their family’s heritage and property rights against government intrusion.
