TRENTON, NJ — As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, the crisp smell of autumn is in the air and that means the season is here for New Jersey- grown apples. Growers in New Jersey have already started picking the Gala variety which will soon be followed by the Honeycrisp and McIntosh varieties. “Whether you prefer sweet or tart, eating or baking apples, New Jersey farmers are growing a variety for everyone. And this year is looking like it will be a bumper crop,” says New Jersey Farm Bureau president Ryck Suydam.
Win Cowgill, professor and area fruit agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, is excited about this year’s apple crop. “The crop looks to be outstanding. The color and size of the apples are excellent and all New Jersey growers I have spoken to or visited have an abundance of apples. The dry weather has produced outstanding flavor and the cool nights last week are producing strong red coloring. We will have a great crop.”
The 2015 crop seems to be following the trend of the last few years in New Jersey. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, last year’s harvested production was estimated at 36 million pounds, up 26 percent from 2013. Bearing acreage for 2014 was estimated at 1,700 acres. Growers saw the 2014 value of utilized production at $30.5-million, up substantially from 2013 due to higher demand.
“So it’s time to pack up the family and take them for a trip to a pick-your-own apple orchard, or simply shop at a local farm stand or town farmers’ market,” says Suydam. “Be sure to pick plenty of apples for those delicious apple pies, crisps and the perfect apple sauce. And of course a fresh, Jersey-grown apple is the perfect, packable, healthy snack for school lunches and fall hikes.”
To find an apple farm, check out www.visitnjfarms.org, the website of the New Jersey Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association, supported by New Jersey Farm Bureau.
The New Jersey Farm Bureau is a non-profit member organization of 11,000+ farmers and farm-related individuals within the Garden State. It is the only organization solely dedicated to representing the grass- roots interests and directives of its members in educating all levels of government and the public on the farm community’s policies and positions. The Farm Bureau also takes a lead in seeking out initiatives, activities and ventures to enhance the profitability of producer members and ensure the viability of agriculture in New Jersey – because agriculture matters.
Source: The New Jersey Farm Bureau
