The New Jersey Department of Agriculture continues to promote the locally grown bounty that is Jersey Fresh produce through a variety of ways, reaching both consumers and retailers.

It is one of Michelle Obama’s top priorities, the Let’s Move Initiative — America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture in partnership with Rutgers University is well on their way to bringing healthy, kid-tested food products made with local produce to New Jersey school cafeterias.

The Jersey Fresh Quality Grading Program, now entering its 27th year, continues to serve as a valuable extension of the Jersey Fresh promotional program.

The goal of the quality grading program has always been to develop a larger financial bottom line for licensed New Jersey growers by supplying wholesale buyers with fresh, high-quality produce, uniformly sized and consistently packed. The regulations developed to administer the Jersey Fresh Quality Grading Program make full use of the U.S. grade standards.

As in past years, New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Division of Marketing and Development is providing New Jersey’s fruit and vegetable industry with vital and expert inspection and grading services.

Working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NJDA’s inspectors work with brokers, shippers, dealers, processors and farmers throughout the state.

Through this service, NJDA’s inspectors perform both shipping point and terminal market inspections, and issue official certificates that are admissible in all U.S. courts as prima facie evidence.

While many consumers know that New Jersey is the Garden State and are familiar with the ever popular Jersey Fresh marketing and advertising program, with the increasing popularity of the Farm to School initiative, these two issues are now starting to reach New Jersey’s youngest consumers — school-aged children.

The third-warmest first quarter of the year has had a significant impact on the growing conditions for spring Jersey Fresh produce. Our record spring warmth got everything off to a historically early start. Spring was drier than usual as well. This weather encouraged many growers’ abilities to get seed or transplant into the soil at earlier dates than most can remember, allowing for more plowing and planting, and more gradual growing conditions and bee pollination.

This spring’s cool nighttime temperatures created excellent quality lettuces, greens and strawberries.