History of NJHA
L to R: Arthur Pratt, New York; Grant Snyder, Massachusetts; Mr. Dyer, New York; and Owen Trask, Connecticut, planning the 1937 NJVGA convention that was held in New York City.
NJHA began as NJVGA (the National Junior Vegetable Growers Association) in 1935 by four leaders in the U.S. vegetable industry: Grant Snyder, Howard Brown, Arthur Pratt, and Owen Trask. The initial purpose of the program was to stimulate and encourage interest and appreciation among young people in the business of growing and handling vegetables. Thus, a vegetable judging, identification, and grading contest was organized and scheduled as a youth activity during the 1935 annual meeting of the Vegetable Growers Association of America in Hartford, Conn. Seventy-four young members from Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut participated. The program “The Junior Judging Identification and Grading Contest”, was a 1 day event, and consisted of vegetable judging, variety type identification, and a potato grading contest. Variety identification involved identifying 50 specimens which consisted of 5 varieties of cucumbers, 8 different varieties of squash, 4 of peppers and cabbages, just to name a few. In the potato grading contest, the individual contestant was given a 20-lb. bag of potatoes and would grade the potatoes according to U.S. Standards with a time factor. Talk about fun!
From the start, the program grew to include trips to vegetable farms, warehouses and city markets and other points of interest. The general program also included movies and lectures. In 1941, the convention was increased to a 4-day event.
In 1964, the present name was adopted to reflect NJHA’s interest in flowering plants, fruits and nuts, ornamental plants, and turfgrass. The revision to include all horticultural crops broadened the scope of the organization and enabled a much wider range of youth to become involved and interested in the activities and projects.
The goals of NJHA are much the same as when the organization first began.
- To promote and sponsor educational programs for youth through a variety of projects and activities that foster a better understanding of horticulture.
- To develop good citizens with a basic understanding of nature and an acceptance of responsibility for the environment in which we live.
- To acquaint youth with the many and varied career opportunities, both vocational and professional, available in the horticulture industry
- To provide young people and their adult leaders with new experiences in group participation, cooperation, and leadership at the national level.