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New Jersey: Small State Serves Millions With Bounty Of Produce
PHOTO COURTESY OF PENNINGTON QUALITY MARKET
Garden State producers can reach more than $1 trillion in buying power — and quickly.
to supermarkets, foodservice companies, food processors and wholesalers East of the Missis- sippi as well as in Eastern Canada.
The land is integral to New Jersey being the Garden State.
“The outer coastal soil and climate are excellent for farming, which allows for flavorful produce,” says Carol DeFoor, office manager at the Vineland Cooperative Produce Auction, in Vineland, NJ. The auction, founded in 1931, is one of the largest of its kind on the East Coast. It operates from mid-April through November and plays a key role in getting Jersey-grown fruits and vegetables from field to market. More than 150 growers who collectively farm more than 25,000 acres primarily in Southern New Jersey participate in the six-day-a-week sale. Since 2002, a state-of-the-art electronic auction clock replaced a live auctioneer. Each transac- tion takes an average of 20 seconds per lot.
One-hour west of southern New Jersey, across the Delaware River, the 21 vendors at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM), distribute a significant amount of Jersey-grown produce in season.
“[The PWPM] does a good job, in both restaurant and retail,” says Nardelli.
At every step, food safety is an integral part of farm operations. “We maintain strict stan- dards with sufficient breaks, potable facilities and the guarantee of gloves and hair nets, and the beginning of our blockchain from field to customer,” says Frankie Dandrea, president of Dandrea Produce, LLC, in Vineland, NJ.
TOP CROPS
New Jersey ranks nationally as a top-10 producer of crops such as blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, squash and tomatoes. However, beyond these big-ticket items, another unique feature of the state’s agricultural landscape is the diversity of fruits and vegetables harvested.
“We grow more than 80 crops throughout the season with more than 200 pack styles,” says Nardelli.
Another plus is the relatively long six-month season. “We ensure that we are kept abreast of all New Jersey crops and when harvesting will begin each season,” says Kelly Davis, director of produce and floral for Iselin, NJ-headquartered Allegiance Retail Services LLC, which provides marketing, advertising
BY CAROL BAREUTHER
enjamin Franklin once described New Jersey as ‘a keg tapped at both ends.’ The Founding Father’s statement referred to the Garden State’s 80-mile waist, which
connected by land the ports of New York and Philadelphia. This horse-path turned super- highway route remains a main artery that delivers more than 100 varieties of Jersey- grown fruits, vegetables and herbs to nearly nine million of the state’s residence.
This distribution includes an additional 10 million consumers from these two major port cities, and soars to more than 52 million people in the Northeast megalopolis, an area that spans from Washington, DC, to Boston. Fresh-picked Garden State produce is an overnight delivery from one-sixth of the U.S. population. That’s Jersey Fresh.
“We have logistical advantages that truly set us apart, since no matter where you are in New Jersey, you can reach more than $1 trillion in buying power with a single tank of gasoline,” says Douglas Fisher, secretary of agriculture for the Trenton, NJ-based New Jersey Department of Agriculture, which launched the state’s landmark Jersey Fresh agricultural branding program in 1984. “This is reflected by the diversity of produce distri-
bution channels that exist across the state. From major international distributors, regional co-ops, produce auctions and a network of community farm markets across the state, there is a venue for buyers looking to incor- porate Jersey Fresh into their sales and promo- tional program.”
New Jersey is also a regional hub for storage and delivery, boasting a network of cold storage and distribution facilities designed specifically to cater to the major markets that the state’s producers operate within, notes Fisher.
STATE AG SNAPSHOT
New Jersey ranks 47th in size and 11th in population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, making it the most densely populated state. Despite that, farmland increased 2.7 percent from 2012 to 2017, to a little more than 734,000 acres, and the number of farms jumped nearly 9% in the same timeframe, to nearly 9,900. Most (81 percent) of these are family or individually owned farms, many multigenera- tional, with 45 percent boasting 10 to 49 acres.
“In the southern part of the state, there is a lot of open farmland,” says Bill Nardelli, Jr., vice president of sales at Cedarville, NJ-lo- cated Nardelli Bros., Inc. – Lake View Farms. The Nardelli family has farmed this land since 1898, and currently ships its produce via a recently expanded transportation fleet
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