New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher announced the appointment of Joe Atchison III of Cherry Hill, NJ, as the assistant secretary of agriculture. Atchison has been the director of the division of marketing and development and will continue in that role as well.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture offers voluntary inspection and grading activities related to fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, poultry and poultry products. These programs are administered under cooperative agreements with the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Commerce to enhance the marketability of these commodities for producers and the food industry while assuring consumers who purchase these inspected commodities that they meet established standards.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture promotes the many varieties of fruits and vegetables grown in New Jersey and encourages consumers to look for Jersey Fresh, bringing awareness to real, locally grown products consumers are seeking.

The third Eastern Produce Council Leadership Class toured the Clifford E. and Melda C. Snyder Research & Extension Farm at Rutgers University located near Pittstown, NJ, on Sept. 15. The 400-acre farm initiates and disseminates research applicable to the production of produce and other crops.

“The program is going real good right now,” Ron Budd of Gloucester County Packing Corp. told The Produce News Monday, Aug. 9, when asked how the New Jersey potato season was progressing. “We started with red and white varieties on July 19. Quality and color on both of them has been excellent. We are going to start on Wednesday [Aug. 11] with russet and yellow varieties.”

As Marolda Farms was in the midst of the summer season in New Jersey, Rich Marolda Jr. was already looking to repeat his successful spring organic lettuce program this fall.

“I did an organic lettuce program in the spring,” Marolda told The Produce News the first week in August. “I kind of jumped in with two feet, and it turned out pretty good.” As such, he will be planting organic lettuce this fall.