BUENA – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and local officials today kicked off the Jersey Fresh lettuce and leafy green season by visiting the Landisville Co-Op, which packages locally grown produce now appearing in farmers markets and stores around the state.
“Our farmers grow, pack and ship the best lettuces and other leafy greens in the country,” Secretary Fisher said. “Right now, we are at the peak of the spring Jersey Fresh leafy greens season, with everything from romaine and spinach to collards and chard available in abundant supplies. We encourage consumers to look for Jersey Fresh lettuces and other greens wherever they purchase produce, knowing they can buy products labeled as Jersey Fresh with full confidence.”
Along with romaine and other lettuces, other Jersey Fresh crops currently available in grocery stores and farm markets across the state include arugula, cilantro, collards, dandelion, dill, escarole and endive, kale, leeks, mint, parsley and spinach, with cabbage becoming available in about a week.
“Year after year our farmers continue to grow top quality product and we are proud to play an important role in making Jersey Fresh lettuces, leafy greens and other produce available to consumers,” said Landisville Co-Op General Manager Felix Donato. “We know our farmers make every effort to ensure they deliver the best to us and we are proud to partner with each of them.”
The Landisville Co-Op is America’s oldest agricultural co-operative. Since 1914 the Landisville Produce Co-operative has been distributing the highest quality fruits and vegetables directly from the farmer to the customer. Over 25 local growers bring their produce to the co-op each morning. The Co-Op distributes New Jersey blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, lettuces, squash, and a host of other locally grown items.
The Landisville Co-op is Third Party Audited and Certified by the USDA in maintaining good agricultural practices for food safety. All fruits and vegetables are immediately vacuumed, hydro or forced air cooled at the facility to sustain freshness.
New Jersey ranks in the top 10 in the production of several crops and the production value for fruits and vegetables in New Jersey according to the Census of Agriculture released earlier this year was nearly $340 million.
To see what crops New Jersey farmers are harvesting, the Jersey Fresh Availability and Forecast Report is published each Monday at https://findjerseyfresh.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/JFAvailReport2019.pdf.
###
To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture
and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDAand @JerseyFreshNJDA.
