Cliff Pristas likens the chickens that he raises on his Hillsborough Township property to “chicken therapy.”
“I like working the earth,” Pristas said of the therapeutic benefits he harnesses through farming. “I like being out in the elements. Unlike the corporate world, you can see the fruits of your labor. There’s such a tangible, earthy component.”
A U.S. Army veteran, Pristas established Veteran Farmers of New Jersey in 2023 to engage and support veterans interested in agriculture and food systems through community building, technical support, mentorship and educational opportunities. The nonprofit began as an offshoot of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey.
But, two years later, with 70 members in his organization – and the potential for many more – Pristas said he has outgrown the organization and is forging ahead to create a separate nonprofit. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that New Jersey is home to 280,000 veterans as of 2022, he said.
Pristas, who works in the Environmental Health and Safety field by day, has been meeting with SCORE Central Jersey mentor Anthony Dennis since the middle of 2024. Together, they have been working on the bylaws, registering the nonprofit with the state, and establishing a board of directors.
Since 1964, SCORE has helped 17 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business throughout Somerset, Hunterdon and Middlesex counties.
“He’s very focused, very organized,” Dennis said. “His whole focus is to help veterans who are interested in farming get them familiar with it and eventually get their own farming business going.”
Next up, Pristas and Dennis will tackle funding, which is integral to providing services and training to veterans free of charge.
“Anthony’s been great,” Pristas said, noting that the main struggle is the time constraints of juggling the nonprofit with his full-time job. “The time I’ve had available, Anthony has been there for me.”
Likewise, Pristas strives to be there for veterans. Pristas is collaborating with a combat veteran from Croatia to establish a community garden project on a three-quarter-acre tract at the VFW in Hamilton. The veteran, who is battling post-traumatic stress disorder, will benefit from the curative components of working the soil.
“We’re engaging him in something constructive,” Pristas said. “We’re losing anywhere from 13 to 20 vets a day from suicide. That’s 100 percent too many.”
Pristas is now working on partnering with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture on a pilot program to demonstrate the need and secure funding to cover the cost of a half dozen veterans working on farms throughout the state.
“There’s real merit for this,” Pristas said. “There’s a need.”
Pristas, who grappled with mental health challenges following his departure from the military in 1991, understands the unique struggles that veterans face when transitioning back to civilian life.
“I need to run this organization as much as vets out there need this,” he said. “I really want to leave my mark for the veterans’ society. It’s a legacy thing for me.”
For those interested in Veteran Farmers of New Jersey, or learning more, reach out to Cliff Pristas at (609) 651-7665, email cliff.pristas@gmail.com, or visit the website at VFNJ.org
