John Molinelli characterizes the labor supply as “good” and says they’ve had no issues this year. “It seems there’s more help around this year compared to last year,” he observes.
FRESH FORUM:
In terms of your business, how has 2015 shaped up so far?Thomas Sheppard, Eastern Fresh Growers
The cold and snow put us behind in our field work. For the lettuce we have in the greenhouse, we may have to pull back a bit by lowering the temperature.Rod Budd, Gloucester County Packing Company
We’re a little busier than what is typical… The projection for potato growers’ acreage is 2,200 in New Jersey—half is for fresh market, and the other half is processing; this hasn’t changed in five years.John Molinelli, John Molinelli, Inc.
This year has been really good so far, both with the Jersey items and the out-of-state items we worked with through the winter.Bill Nardelli, Sr., Nardelli Brothers, Inc.
Very good; we have a Plant City, Florida division that did very well this winter, and the transition to southern Georgia went well too. The quality and pricing this year is exceptional, and the weather is becoming more consistent. The good Lord willing, we may very well have a banner year.Tim Wetherbee, New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council
It looks very positive: the weather is cooperative, the bees are active. Crop quality should be excellent. In terms of volume, as long as the weather stays with us, should be somewhere between 55 and 65 million pounds of blueberries.Ryan Flaim, R&R Flaim Next Generation Produce
Some crops were over-wintered such as dandelions, chards, parsleys, and kale. Greenhouse product also looks great. Our outlook for 2015: high quality, high demand, good supply.Robert Von Rohr, Sunny Valley International
While it’s too early to tell for our local product, we’ve have had good chill hours and good moisture. Business is good so far—it could be better, but it is good.
Although none of the grower-shippers or wholesalers could predict what was in store, they all look forward to the coming harvests from New Jersey’s verdant fields. They may be competitors, but they share a collaborative spirit. Von Rohr offers, “We wish all growers a good year in 2015.”
Image: ©iStock.com/stanley45
