Things are heating up at Consalo Family Farms. Officials at the vertically integrated grower, packer, shipper, importer and distributor say the springtime brings the usual state of optimism about the farming business and the opportunity to again get their high-quality products to market.

“April, May and June are exciting months for us,” said Chelsea Consalo, the Vineland, NJ-based company’s executive vice president. “It is a busy time, but as warm weather rolls around we are all enthusiastic about Jersey Fresh season.” 

Lettuce is at the forefront of the company’s spring crops. “It is one of our important spring crops and quality is starting out excellent,” Consalo said. “We typically see the most volume and demand on romaine, red leaf and green leaf. We have continuously increased our acreage on all of these varieties year after year while also adding organic acreage on all three.”

The spring is also the time to renew relationships within the state and its extremely active produce community. “We were very proud to host the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Jersey Fresh Kick Off, marking the 40thAnniversary of Jersey Fresh this season,” Consalo noted. “Alongside New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture, Edward D. Wengryn, we displayed and celebrated a vibrant array of our crops for state and local officials and fellow growers. 

“This event showed united dedication between legislators and local stakeholders to support farming in New Jersey,” Consalo continued. “The Jersey Fresh program has been an incredible asset to our farm in marketing all of our products.” 

Of course, Consalo is proud to note her company’s long ties to the state and to consumers. Noting that its diverse offering of product has been the driving force behind its success since the company was found in 1927, she added that her family’s commitment, experience and focus on quality has helped it become a major force in New Jersey farming over the many years.  

“Consalo became universally recognized in the New Jersey area first for dedication to growing healthy, quality fruit and vegetables,” she added. “We are proud to grow New Jersey blueberries, herbs, cooking greens, salad items, eggplant, peppers and squash. Year round, we also offer these items along with citrus. We distribute our items in both the United States and Canada allowing local New Jersey produce a national and international reach.”

New Jersey’s location so close to many major metropolitan areas is pretty helpful too. “The state’s unique geographic location makes transportation to retailers up and down the East Coast very easy,” Consalo said. “Timing wise, there is a great window of opportunity for many vegetable items with the season beginning in April and usually extending into November for some crops. 

She also hopes that technology will play a greater role in the company’s future and is certain it will help generate growth and lead to greater sales and profits.

“As technology continues to evolve, the farming industry is poised for greater efficiency, sustainability and innovation,” said Consalo. “Precision agriculture utilizing sensors and data analytics enables us to monitor soil conditions and tailor applications of water and fertilizer. We also continue to improve our supply chain transparency year after year with our advancements in traceability both on the farm and throughout the entire supply chain.”

In the end, the company plans to use all its strengths to keep moving forward, including community involvement. “Specific goals we have are to focus on community involvement with kids,” Consalo noted. “This summer we are hosting several school tours at our farms and donating citrus to a kids farm day program.”