Frank Donio Inc. expanding berry profile with raspberries
Frank Donio Inc. expanding berry profile with raspberries
Frank Donio Inc., a longtime New Jersey grower-shipper with a heavy emphasis on blueberries, added a small trial of raspberries to the mix in 2023 and are greatly increasing that production for the 2024 season.
“Last year we did a smaller trial of about one acre of raspberries under high tunnels and had great results,” said Angie Pape, who is in the sales and marketing department for the Hammonton, N.J.-based company. “This year we will be up to around five acres. Raspberries can be a difficult item in New Jersey, but we’ve seen success with our methods and are looking forward to having a larger volume to offer this season and moving forward.”
Pape, who is a fourth-generation member of the Donio family, confirmed that blueberries have historically been one the firm’s top items during the New Jersey season. “Given the demand for locally grown and strong logistical and historical impact of New Jersey blueberries, they will continue to have strong presence in the market for the foreseeable future,” she said, reporting that South Jersey was the birthplace of the cultivated blueberry more than100 years ago. “The cultivation of blueberries is deeply ingrained in our culture and community. We are — and represent — a number of multigenerational farms under our Top Crop brand and are proud to do so.”
While blueberries represent almost half of its New Jersey production, Donio produces many different crops with its partners, including corn, cucumbers, peppers, squash, cauliflower and many other Jersey Fresh crops. The company also has a robust organic produce footprint in both vegetables and blueberries.
“We began our organic certification on our farm in 2016 and since then have increased to over 500 acres of organic land. Initially organic production as a whole couldn’t keep up with the rising demand because of the time it takes to transition conventional farmland to organic,” Pape said. “My gut feeling is that the industry is getting close to closing that gap between supply and demand but with demand continuing to increase year over year, there’s still room for growth.”
She believes consumers are mostly buying organic products for health reasons and for the lessened environmental impact. “I’m personally very passionate about the concept that we all ‘vote with our dollar’ with what we choose to consume, and the produce industry is a great example of that.”
Frank Donio Inc. is an environmentally focused company using regenerative farming practices and sustainable packaging. “This will be our third season offering organic tray packed vegetables under our Garden State Grown label,” Pape revealed. “We feature organic cucumbers, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini and green peppers on a compostable tray and are looking to increase volume with these items this season.”
The Donio marketing representative said one of the top selling points for New Jersey fruits and vegetables is the close proximity to market. “When it comes to New Jersey produce the biggest trends tend to be with supporting locally grown,” Pape said. “The produce industry has done a wonderful job with promoting local produce to the consumer and they really do show up looking for it on the shelf. I think we’re going to see consumers being even more dialed in to the regional aspect (of fresh produce) and wanting to see the state where it’s grown featured.”
She added that the local produce industry can do more to educate consumers about why they should buy locally grown product. “It’s a multi part answer, from supporting local growers to getting the freshest fruits and vegetables possible to reducing carbon footprint. I think consumers know they want local, but we can do more to explain all of the great things about locally grown produce.”
With its 85-year history, Frank Donio Inc., is very focused on its family connections and keeping the succeeding generations materially involved in the success of the company. Pape reported that Nick Arena, an eight-year veteran with the firm, and another fourth-generation member, is taking on a larger role as the main manager of the blueberry farm. “Nick began with us as a farm intern during the summers while in school and came on full-time when he graduated from college,” she said. “Our previous blueberry farm manager is stepping back to ease into retirement and Nick will become the new point person.”
Looking specifically at this year’s production, Bob Delash, a salesman at the company, is encouraging a bit of patience. “Spring 2024 has been a bit of a slow start here in New Jersey due to the ground being water logged and unable to transplant and seed the spring/early summer crop,” he said on May 13. “Everything over the next week to 10 days will catch up now, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend holiday. So far, the quality has been very nice on the spring crops, and should continue to be moving forward, barring no more weather issues.”
Photo: Salesman Alec Arena inspecting the new the raspberry plantings
