First airplane delivery of produce celebrated at N.J. festival
New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher attended the Mullica Hill Asparagus Festival on Saturday, May 14, where he delivered remarks and sampled offerings that featured Jersey Fresh asparagus.
The festival, organized by the Mullica Hill Historical Society and Harrison Township Committee, celebrated the centennial of the first shipment of produce by airplane in the U.S., which was 1,000 pounds of asparagus going from Mullica Hill to Boston on May 17, 1922.
It was reported in publications that asparagus grown and cut in New Jersey in the morning was served as part of dinner that same evening for the Governor of Massachusetts and Mayor of Boston. Reports say the plane took off from the farm of William D. Iredell in Mullica Hill.
The 2022 event featured Jersey Fresh asparagus from local farms, and asparagus recipes that were prepared for taste testing.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, New Jersey is the No. 4 producer of asparagus in the U.S. with 5.7 million pounds produced in 2021 with a production value of $11 million.
