Feel the South Jersey Vibe

New Jersey has had a wild ride over the last year with diverging weather patterns, labor shortages, and international pressures—but some things will never change: it’s a top agricultural producer and the state’s deeply loyal and rising customer base for all-things-local keeps grower-shippers, wholesalers, and distributors on their toes.

Join us as we take a walk through the Garden State’s famous fresh fields.

Fresh, Fresh, Fresh
Although New Jersey grows a wide range of seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, five in particular are sought after by buyers throughout the state and beyond.

“New Jersey grows over 100 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables and the ‘Big 5’—sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, peppers and blueberries—continue to lead the pack,” confirms Thomas Beaver, director of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s marketing division. Production of cranberries, spinach, cucumbers, squash, snap beans, and cabbage also fall into the national top ten.

The fields of M. D’Ottavio Produce, Inc. in Vineland showcase many of these staple items including both organic and conventional blueberries, 23 new specialty peppers, and a healthy variety of eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.

“New for 2018 will be harvesting for blackberries, raspberries, and golden ber-ries that will complement our existing organic and conventional fruit program,” says president Mike D’Ottavio.

Ryan Flaim, managing member at R&R Flaim Next Generation Produce, LLC, grows herbs, lettuce, squash, eggplant, and peppers. He believes all of the vegetables are “essential” components to his business, but he’s pretty excited about a new romaine lettuce variety that he characterizes as having both a “tender and crunchy” profile and believes will be a hit with chefs and consumers.

Diversity Spurs Demand
New Jersey has long been a mecca to ethnicities and cultural diversity. With more than 117 languages spoken in the state, Beaver says there is ample growth “in niche and ethnic products—this is particularly true of our direct marketers, many of whom are experimenting with new products to satisfy customer demand, extend the growing season, and otherwise capitalize on our exceptional diversity.”

The Vineland Produce Auction, which handles thousands of transactions from early April to late November, saw the sale of almost 6 million packages last year, according to credit manager Carole DeFoor.

“Our growers stay current with trends in the market and adjust their crops to meet the expected market demands,” DeFoor notes. Recently, she has seen a spike in ethnic produce items over more generic or staple crops. She believes “cooking channels, companies such as Blue Apron (which delivers portioned fresh ingredients to easily prepare meals) and healthy initiatives have helped in the sales of these types of produce.”

Land of Local
When timing matters, Jersey gets it right: it’s not uncommon for produce to be harvested in the morning and hit dinner plates the same day. The Jersey Fresh branding and marketing program has helped Garden State growers gain a strong foothold in communities large and small, with loyal customers who trust the well-known label.

Although the Jersey Fresh program is “the oldest state-specific marketing and branding program with 34 years of history behind it,” according to Beaver, local produce is still in the process of gaining recognition in some areas.

Any way you look at it, it’s good news. “Many consumers are becoming more aware and supportive of locally grown products,” confirms Flaim.

Bill Nardelli, Jr., in sales for Nardelli Brothers, Inc., believes the impetus for local produce and healthier eating has been building for some time—like the last five to ten years—and is certainly a win-win for New Jersey suppliers and the industry. “Consumers are more conscious of what they eat than ever before, and it’s a big advantage for us,” he shares.

“Everyone is looking for locally grown, especially in the Northeast,” comments John Molinelli, president of John Molinelli Inc. in Vineland, and Jersey and the entire Eastern Seaboard is teeming with “big promoters of local products” including the restaurant scene.

It’s not all good all the time though. Flaim says some retailers “would rather import product from other countries that have lower labor and distribution costs,” which certainly hurts local growers. Despite the pressure, however, “many of our loyal retailers stay true to supporting locally grown produce,” he says.

In the swirl of escalating retail competition, local growers still hold a strong advantage. “Growers marketing their products under the Jersey Fresh label have a leg up,” posits Beaver. “Our market research shows year after year that buyers are greatly aware of the Jersey Fresh brand and seek it out in season.”

Ongoing support from shoppers as well as local and regional retailers has made all the difference in keeping local produce a mainstay. “I am extremely grateful that many retailers are still supportive of family farms like ours,” shares Flaim.

Beaver believes local businesses willing and able to meet demand for local products will have greater success than “competitors that have not addressed these consumer needs.”

Organics: No Longer Just a Trend
Organic produce has made great strides in New Jersey, with some growers convinced a switch away from conventional crops will garner more market share. Flaim says his family business is answering the call: “We try to conform to new growing trends to stay relevant in the market, and have dedicated acreage to organics to fill this need.”

M. D’Ottavio Produce is another grower capitalizing on the movement. “We see demand increasing very quickly for organic and have joined up with several growers to help supply this very fast growing industry,” shares D’Ottavio.

Beaver has seen the demand for organic swell through the Department of Agriculture. “We’ve been directly involved in the growth of this industry, given that we do organic certification work for the majority of organic producers in the state, and provide guidance to growers considering transitioning some or all of their land to organic production.”

Working with Nature
Those growing in the Garden State are familiar with taking care of the environment and putting sustainable initiatives in place, from integrated pest management (IPM) programs and drip irrigation to protecting the soil and using recycled containers and packaging whenever possible.

Pest control
At R&R Flaim, the company works closely with Rutgers University’s IPM program and their county representative to stay “informed on the newest, most effective, least invasive, and safest methods to ensure responsibly grown produce,” Flaim says.

The fourth-generation grower has implemented measures to combat pests, disease, and environmental problems. “We use buffers, filter strips, fencing, trap cropping, and ‘IPM Prime’—a pesticide risk mitigation engine,” shares Flaim. Energy and water conservation are also top of mind, so the Flaims “participate in efforts to improve local watershed health.”

Reducing irrigation
The D’Ottavio family’s blueberries, planted three years ago, were brought to fruition with an eye toward sustainability.

“We planted bee habitats and worked with Nature’s Eye [a wildlife management firm] to have a state-of-the-art irrigation system to save on fuel and water,” D’Ottavio says. “We’ve seen substantial savings over the past years and recently incorporated the watering system throughout our entire farm.”

Soil health
Eastern Fresh Growers, Inc. in Cedarville is also keeping a close eye on fields and steering clear of overuse. Thomas Sheppard, president of Eastern Fresh, explains: “We plant tillage radish in the field to combat soil compaction, and do all that we can to get organic matter back into the soil.”

Additionally, Sheppard notes, “We’ve had scouts in the fields for years, and are always learning new methods to cut down on chemical use and more specific treatments to eradicate certain insects.”

In an effort to limit tillage as much as possible, Eastern Fresh also uses GPS tracking to monitor fields and avoid compacting the same spots year after year.

Recycling
To do its part, the Vineland Produce Auction has recently “begun handling both dry and plastic boxes which can be recycled as well as biodegradable mulch,” according to DeFoor.

Challenges
Of course, the Garden State saw its share of obstacles too—from wild weather swings and labor shortfalls to increased international competition—but the state’s produce purveyors have proven that adaptability is key.

Erratic weather patterns
Weather has been a carnival ride for the entire country, with unseasonable temperature variability affecting crops from coast to coast.

Tim Wetherbee, in sales at Diamond Blueberry, Inc. in Hammonton, acknowledges “weather is the biggest contributing factor” for those in the produce industry. This year, the weather has certainly not followed what Wetherbee considers “normal patterns of the past.”

With periods of warm weather and then days in the 30s, those along the Eastern Seaboard could only watch and wait. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve been having more extreme weather compared to the past,” agrees Flaim, knowing growers can only do their “best to monitor it closely and make necessary changes to seeding/planting patterns and watering.”

DeFoor says row covers can help in the fields, “but you can’t stop the rain to prevent loss.” But despite the wacky weather, the season mostly remained on schedule—thanks to a colder March that brought back some normalcy after an unusually warm February (which fueled initial predictions of an early start).

“Last year,” DeFoor recalls, “the start of the season was delayed by at least 10 days due to a late freeze that affected the asparagus crop.”

Food safety
Food safety continues to have a major impact on everyone along the Jersey supply chain.

“Once we think we got it licked, there are new things,” laments Sheppard. “There always seems to be another level and more auditors.” Though regulations are nothing new to the supplier, the process is complicated and continues to be a challenge.

Molinelli agrees: “Food safety is making it difficult and bringing extra expense; all the regulations make it a little tougher to keep up as a grower.”

The controversy of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) also continues to concern Jersey suppliers. “We get a lot of questions about GMOs, which is perplexing to me,” reveals Sheppard. “Not many scientists have found problems with them; it’s just a small percentage with concerns. We’ve had less problems with them and use less chemicals—there are many attractive reasons to grow GMO [crops]—but customers don’t want them, and the customer is always right.”

Lulls in labor
“Labor is without equal the biggest cost-driver for fruit and vegetable producers throughout New Jersey,” declares Beaver. “Uncertainty about labor availability and wage pressures are always at the forefront of growers’ minds.”

D’Ottavio has managed to reduce the stress with growing operations in both New Jersey and Florida. “Working year-round has proven a big plus for maintaining a committed and a very good group of farm labor.”

In addition to the dearth of workers, skill is a top issue. “We try to find help to harvest and work on the farm, but all the better [laborers] are going into other venues,” says Molinelli. “Labor is just not what it used to be.”

The lack of skilled workers is particularly difficult with labor-intensive crops like blueberries. With the “pool shrinking all the time, every year it’s a struggle,” admits Wetherbee.

And although many growers have turned to mechanization, blueberries aren’t one of the better crops for such high-tech harvest intervention. There can be damage and losses from mishandling as well as the removal of green fruit that would normally be picked in the second or third rounds of harvesting.

“Labor will be an issue until we get a definite policy in place on how secure a labor force to harvest our vegetables,” comments Nardelli. “It will continue to be a challenge until we have a clear path.”

International pressure
With the rising cost of all facets of growing in the United States, competition is rife from other countries too, especially our southerly neighbor, Mexico. “One of the biggest industry impacts is our ability to compete with Mexico,” contends D’Ottavio. “Mexico continues to grow for much less, leaving only weather to create a market for us.”

DeFoor agrees, but broadens the scope, stating that the continual “influx of produce from other countries undercuts the market.”

And while blueberries still reign supreme as one of Jersey’s top crops, they are not immune to domestic or global competition. Growers in several states have increased blueberry acreage, including Michigan, Florida, and North Carolina.

D’Ottavio sees “diversification” as a key to survival in the produce industry. “We need to have a diverse customer base that consists of retailers, wholesalers, foodservice, and processors to give us the ability to move all our number-one products and off grades.”

As part of this initiative, D’Ottavio Produce began handling its own transportation in 2015, covering customers from Maine to Florida. “This allows us to make sure our customers get on-time deliveries, on new and clean equipment that meets third-party audits and cool chain requirements.”

Future Outlook
Despite the requisite and unusual challenges, South Jersey producers aren’t slowing down. The region touts a rich local legacy and continues to add products to its lineup to meet demand.

“All we can do is grow the very best product, promote healthy food, and pray for good weather and markets,” shares D’Ottavio. Better yet, in his view, is creating a sustainable operation “so our children will follow in our footsteps, and continue to feed this ever-changing and growing industry for many years to come.”

Image: Suzana Marinkovic/Shutterstock.com