This bill establishes the Urban Gardening Pilot Program within the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, aimed at improving local neighborhood conditions in low-income areas by providing grants to three qualified applicants. Each applicant can receive up to $35,000 to create an urban garden, with the program set to operate for three consecutive years. The initiative seeks to enhance community integration and improve living conditions by leveraging urban gardening practices, which include traditional methods as well as innovative techniques like aquaponics and hydroponics. The bill mandates that applicants work with an agronomist or a qualified individual from the New Jersey Cooperative Extension Service to educate local residents on cultivating fresh produce.

Additionally, the bill appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to support the program's implementation, allowing the Department of Agriculture to retain up to 5% for administrative costs. Within three years of the program's initiation, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the program's activities, its impact on local communities, and recommendations for future legislative action, including the potential for making the program permanent.