He grows wheat and oats. And as he sees the 800 homes going up on the property next to his, he rubs his aching neck and says he understands the temptation to sell to developers. Still, he can't help but think what might have been as he watches the housing development going up. The project was allowed to build its own sewer system. And that, says Georgetown University professor John Echeverria, is a symptom of the problem with New Jersey's planning.
Farms get most of their potential value from their ability to someday support home construction.
Van Mater looks at the homes going up near his farm and thinks about how rich he might have been. In one conversation, he says he'd build homes on his land if he had it to do over again. Another time, he says he'd still try to make it as a farmer. But mostly, as he prepared to undergo surgery for a disc problem in his neck, he's says he's just sore and tired.