New Jersey was given the nickname of the Garden State in 1876 when Abraham Browning, an attorney and farm owner, recognized the importance of agriculture in the state at the time. Over two-thirds of the state was rolling farmland at the time. Interestingly, when the state cemented the nickname, in 1953, New Jersey was fast on its way to becoming the most densely populated state in the nation. However, it never lost touch with its roots with agriculture still being the 3rd largest industry in the state, valued at over $65 billion.