Jersey Fresh teams up with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ & Minor League Baseball
The 30-year-old Jersey Fresh fruit and vegetable marketing program, coordinated by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, has teamed up with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and four of New Jersey’s Minor League Baseball teams to address the obesity epidemic in New Jersey by bringing smarter eating choices to America’s favorite pastime.
Last year, Horizon BCBSNJ opened Horizon Healthy Plate concession stands at the home ballparks of the Camden Riversharks, Lakewood BlueClaws, and Trenton Thunder.
Connection between farms and schools continues to grow in New Jersey
New Jersey’s link between its agricultural producers and the state’s students — as current and future customers for agriculture — continues to be a focus of efforts by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to expand produce market opportunities.
Maugeri Farms traces its roots back to the 1920s
SWEDESBORO, NJ — Maugeri Farms was packing one of New Jersey’s signature spring vegetables, asparagus, when The Produce News visited this grower, wholesaler and distributor in early May.
The long, cold winter of 2013-14 was pushing back the starting dates of virtually all produce items grown in the Garden State and elsewhere in the eastern United States. Maugeri Farms was seeing that first hand.
“We started packing asparagus the last week in April,” Joe Maugeri told The Produce News May 5. That’s “at least a week later than normal.”
Dandrea Produce business model takes product from source to customer with detailed precision
“The demand for local produce fits perfectly with our business model, and we are expanding on it exponentially,” Frank Dandrea, president of Dandrea Produce in Vineland, NJ, told The Produce News.
“Our model begins with the grower with whom we work in the planning and financing processes to grow the crop to fulfill the programs that we have preset with our retail partners. We then monitor the crop throughout the growing process, harvesting, quality control, packaging and finally distribution.”
Marolda Farms offers conventional and organic produce
VINELAND, NJ — When The Produce News visited Marolda Farms in early May, the volume of New Jersey-grown fresh produce items on hand was less than normal. Like everyone else involved in agriculture in the Garden State and in many areas of the eastern United States, Marolda Farms was feeling the effects of the brutal winter of 2013-14, which had pushed back the harvesting dates of most items by many weeks.
The Fresh Wave adds two new people to the team
VINELAND, NJ — Like everyone else in southern New Jersey, The Fresh Wave is dealing with the hand Mother Nature has dealt: a late start to virtually all produce items, thanks to the long, cold, snowy winter of 2013-14.
“The spring season is almost a month late,” Tom Consalo, vice president of The Fresh Wave, told The Produce News May 6. “You almost lose 30 days, and you can’t make it up.”
Jay Krichmar: Food safety issue remains top of mind
VINELAND, NJ — Food safety, always a concern to both the produce industry and to consumers, seems to be more on everyone’s minds these days, according to Jay Krichmar, president of Krichmar Produce Co.
“The general populace seems to be more concerned the last few years with food safety,” Krichmar told The Produce News in early May. “Chainstores are pushing the issue of food safety. And we’re doing everything in our power to comply with all the food-safety regulations.”
He continued, “We’ve been doing it all these years, but now we’re crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s.”
Donio looking at a late 2014 Jersey season
HAMMONTON, NJ — The long winter of 2013-14 was affecting everyone who handles New Jersey produce, setting back harvesting dates of virtually all items. As a result, there were only a few produce items from New Jersey on hand at Frank Donio Inc. when The Produce News visited the company Thursday, May 8: asparagus, Boston lettuce, dandelion, and a little spinach.
Company Vice President Bob Donio said simply, “We’re late. We’re going to be late.” However, he added, “Other than the cool weather, everything else was OK. It’s just that everything’s late.”
Nardelli Bros. putting new Plant City, FL, operation to good use
“We recently formed a new registered trademark — ‘Fresher by Miles,’” Bill Nardelli, president of Nardelli Bros. Inc., in Cedarville, NJ, told The Produce News.
“The name exemplifies the message that we want to get across to consumers; we harvest today and it reaches the stores by tomorrow. And it includes the food-safety guidelines that we employ in our company. Today’s consumers want this information.”
Last June, Nardelli Bros. opened a facility in Plant City, FL.
Sun Valley Orchards expecting full crop of asparagus
SWEDESBORO, NJ — Sun Valley Orchards, which planted its first asparagus ever a few years ago, is expecting a full crop of asparagus this season, according to Joe Marino, one of the owners of the company.
“This is probably our first full season on all the asparagus acreage, so we expect a full crop from all the acreage,” Marino told The Produce News the first week in May.