Conspicuous by their absence were cranberry farmers, who grow the state's most profitable crop.

Steven Lee, a board member who is a third-generation cranberry farmer in Chatsworth, argues for balance between property rights and preservation.

Some cranberry farmers are betting otherwise.

You could be a landscaper, or a cranberry farmer, or a carwash owner enduring the ignominy of using recycled water.

For the second consecutive year, cranberry farmers will earn far less for a crop than it takes to grow one.

"Some people may think it's thick enough to walk on, but I know you can't," Mr. Lee, a cranberry farmer, said.

New Jersey's 42 cranberry farmers may have a record crop this year thanks to the cool and wet weather.

The number of cranberry farmers in South Jersey has remained steady for decades.

Firefighting, said Mr. Moore, is one of the basic skills of cranberry farmers - has been for 150 years.

But then, when there's a need, cranberry farmers will usually lend a hand with anything.