New Jersey's Summer Harvest Season Is In Full Swing

Trenton, NJ – Hooray! It’s the middle of July and New Jersey’s summer harvest season is in full swing. It’s time to savor the incredible flavors the Garden State farmers have to offer. Tomatoes, sweet corn and peaches top the list of summertime favorites and they are now all being harvested and sold across New Jersey!

Our farmers want New Jersey consumers to know that their favorite summer vegetable and fruit crops are now in season,” says Ryck Suydam, president of New Jersey Farm Bureau, which polled members across the state on their crops this year.

Is it the Jersey tomato you crave? Farmers throughout the state are harvesting this summer favorite.

Tomatoes are a healthy snack, high in vitamins and antioxidants, a great addition to salads and sandwiches. The Garden State is known for producing the most delicious tomatoes. New Jersey’s soils and climate conditions make for optimal growing conditions for this summer favorite. In 2014 producers planted 3,000 acres of tomatoes for a total value of production of over $38-million. This is for both fresh market and processing tomatoes.

Ever wonder why farmers’ tomatoes are ready before the ones growing in your garden? It’s because many farmers plant their first tomatoes in high-tunnel hoop houses to ensure a longer season, beginning around the 4th of July.  When asked about other season-extending growing methods, Michelle Casella of Rutgers Cooperative Extension said, “South Jersey farmers also use low tunnels covered with row fabric to have field grown tomatoes ready sooner and using black plastic mulch to warm soils.”

Whether your favorite is the classic beefsteak or your tastes are for those gnarly-looking heirloom varieties, stop by your local farm stand or farmer outlet today and pick up your first tomatoes of the summer.

Does Jersey Fresh sweet corn make you sing the praises of summer? Season-extending practices like plastic mulch have also made this favorite available earlier for your enjoyment! New Jersey farmers planted 6,300 acres of sweet corn last year and likely just as much this year. Sweet corn is a delicious addition to any summer meal, be it a lobster bake or burgers and hot dogs on the grill. You can steam it, microwave it, grill it or enjoy it raw. So be sure to pick up your dozen ears this week at your farm stand or farmers market.

If it’s dessert you are looking for, then you will be happy to know that our farmers are ramping up the harvest of fresh peaches! There are nearly 5,000 acres of peach tree orchards in New Jersey. If you really want that perfectly ripe, juicy peach, buying local is the way to go. Local peaches are picked at the peak of ripeness since they don’t have to be shipped a long distance. Whether you prefer red or white peaches, they will both be delicious when you buy them from your local farmer!

Of course we cannot forget the rest of summer’s bounty like cucumbers, squash, peppers and beans. The list goes on and on of what our great farmers produce for your enjoyment. Be sure to go to

www.visitnjfarms.org to find your local farm market or farm stand where you as an individual consumer can buy and taste all of your summer fruits and veggies! And if you are a larger institution, grocery store or chef who would like to source local wholesale fruits and veggies, go to the New Jersey Farm Bureau Produce Directory at http://njfb.org/produce/ to find a local farmer selling wholesale.

Source: New Jersey Farm Bureau