“The show is right in our backyard and every attendee is a potential buyer for Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Joe Atchison III, NJDA’s assistant secretary of agriculture, marketing and development division director. “It is critical that we maintain existing relationships and forge new ones that are seeking top quality produce from the Garden State.”
The NJDA will be at booth No. 317 represented by Atchison and Christine Fries, coordinator of agricultural marketing.
“Our booth has an eye-catching background that showcases just a few of the products our Garden State growers produce each year and we have point-of-purchase materials and promotional giveaways for our visitors,” Atchison said.
In 2024, the NJDA is celebrating 40 years of Jersey Fresh, which Atchison noted means four decades of New Jersey growers providing the best of more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables. That will be a message it looks to deliver at the show.
“We believe strongly in supporting this show because it provides access to buyers who are supplying people from the tri-state area,” Atchison said. “Buyers whose customers live in our state and neighboring states. These customers want the best, local produce and we want buyers to know where to get it.”
Throughout the show, Atchison and Fries expect to be talking about a wide range of topics ranging from varieties and seasonality to supply chain and climate issues as they relate to crop harvests.
“These are the topics that affect buyer decisions and impact them and their customers,” Atchison said. “We have attended this show for many years and we make our plans to work the booth and walk around to other booths to engage as many people as possible. You never know when one contact will reach out after the show.”
A successful show for the NJDA can be defined by the quality of the conversations had and the relationships renewed or started.
“One or two top quality visits can make a whole show, and we’ve had success with this show in the past,” Atchison said. “You might not make a solid connection that day, but, as has happened to us several times, you might get a phone call weeks or even months later that start, ‘Hey, I met you at the New York Produce Show and we are looking for…’ That’s why it’s important to be at the show and talk with everyone you encounter.”
