“The season has been good overall with Bell peppers and squash sales looking very strong,” said Carol DeFoor, office manager for the cooperative. “The quality of the New Jersey produce has been very good and plentiful, even though the summer weather was hot and rainy. Our growers have adapted with adjusting to weather conditions.”

Currently, the growers in this area are gearing up for fall sales, as they are planting cabbage, lettuce and various greens and herbs.

“Some growers planted late peppers and pickles so they will be available as well through our early fall sale,” DeFoor said. “The freshness of the product should be noted as some of our growers are still picking or packing the product as it is being sold at the auction. This produce is then delivered to the cooling facility to ensure freshness for the consumer.”

Most of its growers grow a diverse range of crops from early dandelion to late cabbage or hard squash.

“Demand at the auction itself may have changed, but through direct sales, the growers are able to meet the changing needs of the buyers,” DeFoor said. “Specialty crops — like bok choy, cilantro or poblano peppers — are always in demand and we are anticipating them to be strong throughout the fall. We always have growers for these items though weather may affect the availability.”

What’s great about the auction is that it gives the small- and mid-size growers a vehicle to get their product to the market.

“What I tell all new growers is that everything here is by reputation and quality,” DeFoor said. “If the buyers know you have quality produce, they will buy and continue to buy from which allows them to grow.”

Supply and demand, she added, are a balancing act. When the weather is perfect there is always sufficient supply but add rain and heat and the supply is affected.

“We are always looking for more demand, as demand increases prices and will increase farmers wanting to sell through the auction,” DeFoor said. “We have a strong supply coming into the fall and hopefully everything will sell at a reasonable price. Prices are always a concern especially as the prices of supplies continue to increase but not at the same rate as the sale prices of the product.  As John F. Kennedy said, ‘The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail prices and sells at wholesale prices and pays freight both ways.’”

This year, the Vineland Produce Auction received Organic Certification for the cooler operations for its organic growers and suppliers. It’s also Gap Plus certified. The goal is to continue to innovate and update to provide the best to its growers.

“Our warehouse staff works diligently in obtaining necessary supplies for the growers from the greenhouse to the finished product including custom boxes, tags and twist ties,” DeFoor said. “The auction system was updated last year to make it easier for new buyers to access the system.”