Bill Nardelli, president of Nardelli Bros. Inc., in Cedarville, NJ, told The Produce News that the company has had a good season so far in the state, although crops started a little slower than usual this year.

“The weather has been cooler and wetter than usual from the deep south to the north,” said Nardelli. “We were delayed a little in the early part, but then we got one extremely warm week. It cooled off again after that, and now we’re seeing normal temperatures. Crops are coming on fairly well, but some things could be about a week or so late.”

He noted that once the crops start coming on stronger, things have a tendency to level off and get back on schedule.

Bill Nardelli Jr. displays heads of lettuce in one of Nardelli Bros. Cedarville, NJ fields.The company adds a little more acreage to its production each year, especially in products that are increasing in demand such as leaf items, cilantro, parsley and other herbs. It handles a vast array of fresh produce; from asparagus to yams, and dozens in-between.

“The locally grown movement is really giving us a nice push, and that growing demand has us expanding continually,” said Nardelli. “We put out a little more product every year.”

Nardelli Bros. now has its fifth generation of family members working at the company. Nardelli’s son, Bill Jr., joined the company full time when he graduated from the University of Delaware a couple of years ago. His younger son, Jimmy, completed his second year at the same university this year. He will join the company full time when he graduates two years from now. In the meantime, he spends days off from school and summers working with his dad and brother.

“Bill Jr. is highly advanced in technology,” said Nardelli. “Our tracking systems are fully in place. Our sustainable practices, foods-safety certifications and traceability programs are ahead of the curve because of his knowledge of technology.”

Bill Jr. graduated from college with a major in food and agricultural business and a minor in economics and food marketing. Jimmy is working toward a major in food and agricultural business, but with a minor in plant science.

“Jimmy really likes the growing side of the business, while Bill Jr. likes the marketing and service side,” said Nardelli. “We now operate year-round, which is keeping all of us very busy.”

“The business is new and exciting to both of my sons,” Nardelli continued. “Like me, they like the fast pace and are coming up with ways to expand our perimeters. They also engage in the challenge and the competition. But they, like me, especially like knowing that our customers are highly satisfied with our products and the service we provide.”

As everyone in the industry knows, things in farming sometimes go awry, such as weather conditions and a multitude of other issues, including an occasional late delivery.

“We take that very personally,” Nardelli stressed. “Both of my sons are very interested in the trucking side of our business. We want our customers to be satisfied and happy with the product, but we also want to insure that they get it when it’s expected. We’ve been in trucking since 1941, and have increased or decreased the size of our fleet at different times in our history. Now both boys want to increase the size of our fleet in order to prevent issues like late deliveries from occurring.”

He added that Nardelli is not a huge corporate name, but it is a family name, so every aspect of taking care of customers is very personal. But he is also teaching his sons that things happen in the farming business that you cannot control. “Sometimes one growing region profits from the losses of another,” said Nardelli. “That’s just the way this business is.”

His sons are diverse in their individual knowledge and talents, and that, combined with their father’s experience, make a perfect team. And Nardelli plans to stick around.

“I’ll be here as long as they’ll have me,” he said. “I really enjoy this business. Like the boys, I love the fast pace and I draw great satisfaction when our customers are satisfied. I have many hobbies, like hunting and fishing, but the most enjoyable times I have come from seeing our business operate smoothly, having good production, strong sales and timely deliveries. Behind having my family being healthy and together, these bring me the most pleasure. It is very rewarding to see my sons head down the same path as their father and generations before them have.”

Nardelli added that the company is preparing for a major expansion into the southern region in the future. “It’s a new venture that will be announced forthcoming,” Nardelli said.