Two of New Jersey agriculture’s more influential annual gatherings are joining forces for the first time to create a formidable showcase of the Garden State’s agrarian advances.

WEATHER

Salinas, CA: Daytime highs will range from the mid-60s to low 70s through June 14 with overnight lows in the low 50s. Dry skies are expected into mid-June.

Fresno, CA: Daytime highs will be in the mid-80s through June 14 with overnight lows in the upper 50s to low 60s. Dry skies are expected into mid-June.

DEMAND

TRENTON, NJ -- A cold winter and a normal, wet spring have provided growing conditions that should result in a great crop of large, exceptional quality New Jersey blueberries.

As the branches of Washington and Oregon's pear trees continue to grow heavy with fruit, the Northwest pear industry is projecting a 2011 harvest of approximately 19.2 million standard 44-pound box equivalents, or 422,166 tons, of pears. This estimate is approximately 5 percent larger than the five-year average, and 8 percent larger than last year's short crop.

Mother Nature’s mixed bag of weather during the 2011 stone fruit production season will affect Washington state’s supplies in varying degrees.

"Virginia Grown," the state's locally grown initiative, was developed over 12 years ago. Kent Lewis, director of sales and market development for the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, said that the program has grown tremendously since then.