NJ Dept. of Agriculture seeks to build awareness of state produce
NJ Dept. of Agriculture seeks to build awareness of state produce
While viewed as a more urban area that caters to two major metropolitan areas in the north and the south, New Jersey has a lot going for it when it comes to the produce industry.
It has become the responsibility of the New Jersey Dept. of Agriculture to make sure that the word gets out to the industry about what the state produces and how it can help retailers, through its well-established Jersey Fresh marketing program, make more sales and profits.
The New York Produce Show is another example of building awareness of what is produced in the Garden State and how best to work with the many farmers scattered across the state. It is also about building relationships with everyone, far and wide.
“Our strategy in approaching the New York Produce Show is to make as many connections as possible,” said Joe Atchison III, the assistant secretary of the Trenton, NJ-based department. “They may not pay off immediately, but it is not unusual to hear back from contacts weeks or months later. We also have a couple of people on our staff attending the show, which will allow us to take turns working the booth and engaging with visitors. It will also give us the opportunity to walk the show and see and talk to other exhibitors about their experiences.
“Our large eye-catching Jersey Fresh backdrop never fails to draw people to our booth including people who know the brand and people who want to learn about what we do at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.”
The key to developing stronger relationships is listening to attendees’ needs and concerns and giving them solutions to any issue, Atchison III noted.
“We typically let visitors engage us on whatever topic they would like to discuss and the conversation flows from there,” he said. “Whether it is questions or concerns about the crops grown in New Jersey throughout the year and what our season looks like to discussing challenges our growers face.”
Of course, it is also focusing on the benefits of working with New Jersey farmers through the Jersey Fresh program and educating the industry to exactly what Garden State farmers can offer them that might not be available elsewhere. It is also making sure the industry realizes that New Jersey produce can get to market quickly thanks to the state’s location as a mid-Atlantic state near many major metropolitan areas.
“We expect and hope to continue strengthening existing relationships and to forge new contacts and to educate people that New Jersey is the Garden State for a reason,” Atchison III added. “With more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables grown each year, we have crops for all customers and they can go from field to store in very short order, frequently within 24 hours.”
Atchison III is quick to point out the other attributes of working with New Jersey farmers and the commitment state officials have made to produce.
“New Jersey has one of the leading farmland preservation programs in the country with more than 250,000 acres preserved for agriculture forever,” he said. “With that and the rest of our farmland, we are poised to continue to have the top-quality fruits and vegetables your customers’ demand. Our growers are adaptable and are poised to meet consumer demand year after year.”
The current harvest is a great example of the many types of produce available from New Jersey.
“In the Garden State, the fourth quarter provides us with hearty fall crops including hard squashes, greens, spinach, apples and white and sweet potatoes as our growers begin to wind down the growing and harvest season,” he said. “The weather has been cooperative, so the quality of our crops is outstanding.”
