Page 58 - 0619

VEGETABLES. Bell peppers and cucum- bers are the highest-volume veggies grown by Eastern Fresh Growers, a Cedarville, NJ farm operated by generations of the same family since the late 1600s. “We plan to have more sweet corn than last year,” says Thomas Shep- pard, president. “Last year was our first. We produced a good crop and are now devoting more acreage to it.”
ETHNIC PRODUCE. New Jersey is among the most ethnically diverse states in the country. As a result, growers have responded
by adjusting their crop planning to provide the specific fruits and vegetables necessary to appeal to the ever-changing marketplace.
“Peppers like cubanelles, jalapeños and long hots are something we’ve grown for some time,” says Joe Rosa, vice president of sales and purchasing for The Fresh Wave/Consalo Family Farms, in Vineland, NJ.
Baby Bok choy, bok choy, cilantro, kohl- rabi and poblano peppers are some of the crop diversity that is sold in the Vineland Auction, says DeFoor. “Methi (also called fenugreek)
crops have doubled over the past few years.”
300-YEARS OLD, 21ST CENTURY NEW
New Jersey farmers have a strong commit- ment to innovation, according to the NJDA’s Secretary of Agriculture, Fisher. “Growers are constantly evaluating new varieties and crops to ensure they are meeting the expectations of buyers and consumers.”
This state-of-the-art stance extends to growing methods such as organics and protected agriculture. The number of farms growing organically increased from 72 to 102 between the years 2012 and 2017, an interval that saw the value of organic production increase more than 200 percent to $127.6 million, according to the April 2019-published 2017 Census of Agriculture New Jersey, by the USDA’s NASS. Tomatoes, peppers, cucum- bers, squash, lettuce, eggplant and sweet corn are a few of the organic crops. Produce grown under glass has grown from 67 farms in 2012 to 124 farms in 2017. Tomatoes, lettuces and fresh herbs are top greenhouse crops.
“One way we offer shoppers a local product, such as greens and bagged salads that are available year-round and are incredibly fresh, is through strategic partnerships with vertically integrated local farmers who produce using hydroponics, aquaponics or other tech- niques,” says Derrick Jenkins, vice president of produce and floral for the Keasbey, NJ-head- quartered Wakefern Food Corp, the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States with 50 members that operate more than 350 stores under banners such as The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite Marketplace and ShopRite. “These products are a very sustain- able, environmentally friendly way of farming. We think this is the way of the future.”
Curbing food waste is the objective of Farmers Against Hunger, one of three key programs headed up by the Bordentown, NJ-headquartered New Jersey Agricultural Society, which was formed in 1781, with the mission of preserving and enhancing agricul- ture, farming and related activities in the state. The Farmers Against Hunger program was started in 1996.
“We moved more than 1.5 million pounds of food last year to food banks, churches and otherorganizationsthatfeedthehungry,”says Al Murray, executive director, who served as the NJDA’s assistant secretary for more than 30 years. “This came primarily from more than 80 New Jersey farmers, wholesalers and retailers. We even get donations from the Philadelphia Produce Market. It’s all part of maximizing the role agriculture plays in the state.” pb
58 / JUNE 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS