CEDARVILLE, NJ — A cool and wet spring has delayed the start of the New Jersey vegetable deal by about a week, but Bill Nardelli of Nardelli Bros., here, is not concerned in the least.

“The weather is starting to warm up, and once that happens things will really start to pop,” Nardelli said May 5, on a day when the mercury reached an unseasonably warm 84 degrees.

Nardelli Bros. is one of the Garden State’s leading growers, producing 80 different commodities on approximately 2,000 acres. But despite its size, there are no plans to stand pat.

“We are looking to expand our acreage, and we just purchased the former Cedarville Co-op facility and will outfit it with a new state-of-the-art packingline and cooling rooms, so we can have everything centralized,” said Nardelli. “It will help us keep ahead of the game on food safety. The new lines will be 100 percent stainless steel and everything will be fully automated.”

Along with the increased acreage and upgraded packing facility, Nardelli Bros. is poised for the future with an injection of youth into its operation.

Nardelli’s son, Bill Nardelli Jr., has been working full time at the company for five years now, and his other son, Jimmy, was set to come on board full time following his graduation from the University of Delaware later in May. The two each have years of experience already under their belts, having worked since childhood at the farm in some capacity.

“We need the influx of new blood,” said Nardelli. “This business has changed so much and everything is computerized now. It’s a new breed of buyer, and many don’t necessarily come from a produce background, so we have to adapt to the new ways that things are done. That said, we have the same customer base that we have had for the last 50 or 60 years, so they know our reputation and we are very proud with the relationships we have built.”

Nardelli Bros. also recently expanded its operation to include an office in Plant City, FL, which enables it to better serve its customer base with year-round supply of product.

“This is our fourth year with the Plant City office and it is going very well,” said Nardelli. “Richard Bacigalupo & Sons Produce closed their operation recently, and we have Richard Jr. working in that office in sales and transportation. Anthony Bacigalupo is working out of our New Jersey office, and Richard Sr. is doing some sales and procurement for us as well. We also have a great partner in Georgia and associations with growers in other states, which enables us to keep our customers in constant supply.”

Nardelli said the leaf items in New Jersey were expected to begin May 15-20, and he anticipates good markets, at least at the outset of the season.

“With the drought situation in the west and the late start of other states in the east, New Jersey should have a window all to ourselves for a while,” he said. “Also, the preference for locally grown Jersey Fresh produce is as strong as ever. And the freight advantage we offer along with the freshness factor puts us in a great position. We strive every day to live up to our motto, ‘Fresher by Miles.’”

To help get the product to its retail customer as quickly as possible, Nardelli Bros. maintains its own fleet of trucks. In fact, it just launched NBI Transport this spring.

“We currently have 14 trucks and we’re looking to increase that number,” said Nardelli. “Our goal is to control everything from the field through the warehouse. You can raise the best-tasting, most beautiful product, but a late delivery can undermine everything.”