For 175 years, the Henry family farm in Cranbury, New Jersey, remained a working piece of farmland. But in 2025, the 175-year-old property found itself at the centre of a dispute over the state's push to provide more affordable housing. Cranbury Township planned to acquire part of the 21-acre farm for a 130-unit housing development, warning the owners that it could use eminent domain if they refused to sell. What followed was a prolonged legal and political fight that drew in residents, state leaders and federal officials. The Henry family challenged the proposed taking in court while the township faced growing pressure to find another location for its housing obligation. A change to a state rule governing the distance between affordable housing and warehouses eventually opened the door to an alternative site. By October 2025, a settlement had been reached, removing the farm from the housing plan and allowing the property to remain with the family. The owners are now working to place the land under farmland preservation protections.
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