Ag Center: Honored with Voice of Business Award
The Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual Voice of Business Awards this month and the Burlington County Agricultural Center is among the award recipients.
The Agricultural Center is one of 13 individuals and entities that will be honored during the Voice of Business Awards on Monday, April 27. It was selected to receive the Voice of Business Award for Economic Development in recognition of its support for area farms, food vendors and other small businesses in the county and region.
“Agriculture is deeply rooted in Burlington County’s heritage and economy, and the Burlington County Agricultural Center reflects our commitment to keeping the industry strong and viable through farmland preservation and promoting education about farming, sustainability and land stewardship,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson. “The growth of the County’s weekly famers market at the Agricultural Center is one of our biggest successes. It has helped make the Agricultural Center a major regional asset, not just for local farmers but also for numerous small business vendors and entrepreneurs who sell there. Our residents love it, and we are excited the Chamber of Commerce has chosen to recognize its value to our county and the business community.”
Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kristi Howell said the Agricultural Center deserves recognition for its contributions to small businesses and the county’s quality of life.
“Burlington County created the Agricultural Center and Farmers Market as a place for residents to learn about agriculture and interact with area farmers,” said Howell. “Over the ensuing 20 years it’s rapidly grown to become one of the most popular destinations to shop and visit in the region. In the process, it has helped dozens of local businesses to succeed.”
An asset for farmers, small businesses and residents
Located on a preserved farm off Centerton Road on the Moorestown-Mount Laurel border, the Agricultural Center is best known for hosting the weekly Burlington County Farmers Market each Saturday from May through early December. Now celebrating its 20th season, the market is credited with helping numerous area farms and small businesses to market and sell their products.
In 2024, the market was crowned the No. 1 farmers market in New Jersey during the American Farmland Trust’s annual poll, and last year it was voted No. 4 in the nation during USA Today’s 10BEST Readers Poll.
“The Burlington County Farmers Market is one of the most powerful economic development tools we have,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation, Parks and Farmland Preservation. “It creates real, direct revenue for local farms and small businesses while giving our residents a destination worth coming back to nearly all year long. That combination of community and commerce is rare, and that’s why this recognition is so well deserved.”
The Agricultural Center also functions as a County park, garden and education center devoted to farming, food production, nutrition and land stewardship. A portion of the property continues to be leased for farming, and the site also has community gardens, demonstration fields and a commercial kitchen that is available for rent and a site for various cooking and gardening classes offered by the Burlington County Parks System.
Last year, the Agricultural Center also hosted Burlington County’s first Harvest Dinner, a special farm-to-table tasting event featuring courses prepared by Rowan College at Burlington County culinary students with locally sourced ingredients. The event was organized by the Department of Economic Development at the Burlington County Bridge Commission to spotlight and promote farm-to-table dining and the benefits of such collaborations for farms, consumers, and restaurants.
“Anyone who has visited the Burlington County Agricultural Center during a market day or for a Parks program or other special event can see how special it is, and we appreciate the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce’s recognition of the Agricultural Center, and all the County has invested in it,” added Burlington County Commissioner Randy Brolo. “We also applaud the other award selections. The Agricultural Center is in great company, and we want to thank the Chamber for all it does to help support and advocate for the businesses in our county.”
The 2026 Voice of Business Award recipients are:
Voice of Business: Accu Staffing
New Voice: Adjust Your Sleep Mattress and owner Kelly Wernersbach,
Business Excellence (Small Sized Business): Business Xact IT, Evesham
Business Excellence (Medium Sized Business): The Funplex, Mount Laurel
Business Excellence (Lage Business): Capehart & Scatchard, Mount Laurel
Economic Development: Burlington County Agricultural Center, Moorestown
Community Enrichment: Perkins Center for the Arts, Moorestown
Outstanding Main Street Business: Main Street Mount Holly
Public Voice: Moorestown Mayor Quinton Law
Outstanding Young Professional: Leslie Berry, Executive Director of Main Street Mount Holly/Owner of Jhene and Grey, Mount Holly
Outstanding Woman in Business: Cat Barrett, Owner of Cat's Mobile Massage, Riverside
Personal Excellence: Christopher J. Keating, Keating Law Firm, Moorestown
Chairman's Award of Excellence: Eileen Wirth, MEND, Moorestown
For more information about the Voice of Business Awards, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact the Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce at khowell@bcrcc.com .
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