woodbury, nj — Gloucester County Packing Corp. handles potatoes all year long from all over the United States, but at this time of the year, New Jersey potatoes are the stars.

The Garden State has about 1,800 acres devoted to potatoes, according to Ron Budd, vice president of the company. “New Jersey potato volume is substantial for the time period we’re dealing with,” generally from about mid-July through September, he told The Produce News Wednesday morning, Aug. 17, at the company’s facility here in the southern part of the state. “We’re dealing directly with the farmers, so the proximity gives us very competitive pricing.”

The New Jersey potato deal represents “a major portion of our business, especially with the emphasis of the Jersey Fresh program,” he declared. “There’s a big push for locally grown product.” Locally grown is important not only to consumers but with foodservice as well. “New Jersey restaurants want to use locally grown product,” he said. “And it looks to be more important in the future.”

This year, New Jersey potato growers started harvesting Eastern white potatoes on July 18, red potatoes on July 25 and russet potatoes on Aug. 4, according to Budd, who noted that those dates are fairly average. “The russets will go through the end of September, and the Eastern white potatoes will go through the end of October,” he said.

As just one way to help promote New Jersey potatoes, the New Jersey White Potato Association — of which Gloucester County Packing Corp. is a member — applied for and received in spring 2015 a two-year Specialty Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture “to promote Jersey Fresh/locally grown potatoes,” said Budd. The theme of the promotion, in the form of point-of-sale materials, is “Know Your Food, Know Your Farmer.” The promotion is basically “putting a name, a face and a place with the potatoes that consumers are buying,” as Budd put it.

Frank Wilson founded Gloucester County Packing Corp. in 1949. His son-in-law Dave Budd joined the company in 1965, and remains active in the business. Dave’s sons Bob and Ron joined the company in 1977 and 1979, respectively. Bob’s son David, who graduated from Stockton University in December 2015, joined the company and represents the fourth generation.

The company does not grow any product itself, but its 45,000-square-foot facility packs, distributes and handles potatoes and onions “from all over the United States and Canada,” said Ron Budd. “You have a state that produces potatoes, and we will handle them,” he quipped. And about 10 years ago, the company added Peruvian onions to its line.

Gloucester County Trucking handles the trucking for Gloucester County Packing Corp. Dave Budd handles the chip potato program and Metzler Systems. Bob Budd is president of Gloucester County Packing Corp., and Ron Budd is vice president; their mother, Lois, runs the retail store across the street known as Red Eagle Produce, which handles deli items and ice cream in addition to fresh produce.