New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Edward D. Wengryn and other state and local officials today commenced the 40th Anniversary of Jersey Fresh with a visit to Consalo Family Farms in Franklin Township. The farm grows and packages locally produced items now appearing in farmers markets and stores statewide.
“Jersey Fresh is an iconic brand that is nationally known, respected, and imitated by many other states due to the success it has experienced here in the Garden State for the last four decades,” Secretary Wengryn stated. “The major reason for the success of this brand has been the consistently outstanding produce grown by farms like the one we are on today throughout the entire state. The Jersey Fresh label continues to be a trusted trademark for consumers who know they are purchasing the best product while supporting the local economy.”
New Jersey ranks in the top 10 in the U.S. in producing several crops, including third place for asparagus, which was highlighted as an early season crop. The recently released Census of Agriculture valued New Jersey's asparagus crop at $12.5 million, with overall fruit and vegetable production nearing half a billion dollars annually.
Other early harvest crops available daily include kale, lettuce, radishes, and spinach. Beets and strawberries are expected to be widely available within two weeks.
Consumers can find seasonal Jersey Fresh produce and its sale locations at FindJerseyFresh.com.
“We are proud to be one of the growers that plays a role in making Jersey Fresh produce available to everyone,” Consalo Family Farms Executive Vice President Chelsea Consalo said. “The Jersey Fresh season is here and we anticipate having an outstanding season. Our family plans to maintain our agricultural tradition for generations to come.”
Consalo Family Farms includes CEO Skip Consalo, Senior Vice President of Procurement A.J. Consalo, and Vice President of Finance Sarah Consalo. The vertically integrated grower, packer, shipper, importer, and distributor has been family-owned since 1927, currently farming approximately 1,500 acres. Their largest crop is blueberries but also includes various vegetables such as salad items (leaf lettuces), herbs, cooking greens (dandelion, swiss chard, kale), peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and hard squash.
