“We have added hydrocooled green beans to our product list this year,” Tom Sheppard, president of Eastern Fresh Growers Inc., in Cedarville, NJ, told The Produce News. “We handled them several years ago with good success, but we moved away from them.”

Mr. Sheppard is also vice president of Sheppard Farms, the company’s farming division.

VINELAND, NJ — Some deals start early, some start late, and every once in a while, they start on time. The 2011 New Jersey spring vegetable season falls into the last category, with nice volume and high quality added for good measure.

Frank Dandrea, president of Dandrea Produce Inc. in Vineland, NJ, told The Produce News that leafy greens started for the company in early May.

“We’re moving the full line now,” he said May 11, including spinach and winter parsleys, asparagus and all leafy greens.

Dandrea Produce participates in locally grown initiatives in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.

HAMMONTON, NJ — Frank Donio Inc. is a full-service wholesaler that distributes an extensive line of fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from all areas of the United States and beyond. But with its roots firmly planted here in southern New Jersey, fresh produce from its home state remains key, and the long Jersey season retains special significance.

VINELAND, NJ — Arbittier Farms has been a constant in the south Jersey produce deal for a long time, with roots going back 80 years. The company took a major step a couple of years ago to keep the company going forward and continue its successful run.

Dan Del Monte bought the company in September 2009 from longtime owner Howard Arbittier and has been instituting a number of changes and innovations to keep the company competitive and growing, Mr. Del Monte told The Produce News May 11 at the company’s headquarters here.

Phil Neary director of operations and grower relations for Sunny Valley International, headquartered in Glassboro, NJ, told The Produce News earlier this month that this year’s blueberry and peach crops are trending toward a more normal movement date.

“We had an extremely early start with New Jersey’s crops last year,” Mr. Neary said May 12. “This year we’ll be moving on a more normal time frame. Blueberries will start by mid-June, and peaches will start the second week of July.”