Jay Krichmar: Produce supplies should ramp up with warmer weather
Jay Krichmar: Produce supplies should ramp up with warmer weather
VINELAND, NJ — Jay Krichmar, president of Krichmar Produce Co., was evaluating the cool weather pattern that had marked the early spring in New Jersey and how it was affecting the crops so far this year when The Produce News visited him in mid-May.
“This year started slow, but the weather will come on and we’ll catch up like that,” he said with a snap of his fingers.
Even with the cool spring, Krichmar said May 15 that lettuce “was starting to come in” and would get more plentiful during the next few weeks. Herbs “were pretty plentiful,” he added.
Staff members of Krichmar Produce took time the afternoon of May 15 for this photo at the company’s headquarters in Vineland, NJ. However, due to the cold weather conditions during the first half of spring 2013, “We are going to have some gaps” in all the herbs as well as in some vegetable items during the next few weeks, although those gaps might occur for just a few days at a time.
Once the warm weather arrives, as it surely would, “All the summer items look like they’ll be right on time,” said Krichmar, who founded the company that bears his name 18 years ago. “We’ll be able to promote Jersey Fresh produce” to retailers and other distributors that are looking for it. “Quality has been pretty consistent, and I expect it to remain so barring any unforeseen storms.”
The customer base at Krichmar Produce, headquartered here in southern New Jersey, “has been very loyal,” said the produce veteran.
That base consists primarily of retailers and wholesalers located up and down the East Coast, from Florida to Massachusetts.
