“The majority of fruit and vegetable exports from New Jersey are bound for store shelves in Eastern Canada, so it is imperative we maintain relationships that exist and extol the benefits of sourcing produce from the Garden State,” said Joe Atchison III, NJDA’s assistant secretary of agriculture for marketing and development division director. “We hope to continue to facilitate connections. Making people aware of what New Jersey has to offer is our first step in building those relationships. We are dedicated to that pursuit, whether we can attend a show in-person or not.”“We are working to grow our new Organic, Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture program to provide technical advice, education and marketing support for those sectors while providing contacts for retailers looking to source these products,” Atchison said. “We have several value-added products in our Made With Jersey Fresh program including sauces, salsas, canned tomato products, jams, beer and spirits and frozen eggplant cutlets all using Jersey Fresh fruits and/or vegetables. We are looking to add additional lines and participation from producers in the Garden State over the course of the year.”
Throughout 2024, the NJDA will promote the Jersey Fresh brand by using a multimedia marketing campaign, which includes digital billboards on many of the nation’s most traveled roads, radio, transit, social and online media, print advertisements, aerial banners flying above the Jersey Shore and sampling events at the busiest boardwalks along our shoreline.
“In addition, we will be attending several trade shows and conventions to promote the Garden State’s harvest and our exceptional Jersey Fresh growers,” Atchison said.
