New Jersey Department of Agriculture emphasizes jersey fresh season

Visit to the Cumberland County Farm includes packing asparagus at the height of the harvest

Lawrence Township – The deputy secretary of agriculture by New Jersey, Joe Atchison, emphasized the fresh season of Jersey by harvesting asparagus on Sheppard Farms and looking at the electronic packaging of asparagus at Eastern Fresh Growers in order to emphasize that locally grown products and other agricultural products now near the state appear.

“The season has a big start because our early harvest and asparagus are now available,” said the deputy secretary Atchison. “We expect a great season for our farmers and everyone who produces Jersey Fresh fruit and vegetables. Jersey Fresh has been part of the agricultural material of our state for more than 40 years. Consumers know that the Jersey FRESH label means that they acquire the local products that were selected at the peak of the freshness, and our farmers who best produce.”

New Jersey is among the top 10 in the production of several plants. According to the recent economic count of the US Agriculture Ministry, New Jersey was the No. 4 state in the USA in hectares of asparagus, which was harvested at 1,970. The value for vegetable production for New Jersey in 2024 was almost 225 million US dollars, a plus of almost 16 million US dollars compared to 2023. Other cultures with an early harvest that are available daily are kale, salad, radish, spinach, strawberries and beets.

“The asparagus season has a good start for us and we also expect a great season with our other plants,” said Eastern Fresh President Tom Sheppard. “The family tradition remains strong and is an essential part of our growth and our packaging here in Cumberland County. We hope to continue the business here for the coming generations with the commitment of younger members of our family and with the progress we have made.”

About Sheppard Farms
The Sheppard family has grown fruit and vegetables in New Jersey since 1683. Since 1888, the family has been managing at their current location in Cedarville. Today Sheppard Farms, led by Tom Sheppard, is 1,000 acres and deals with 160 workers during the highlight of the season. These workers include Tom's son Alex, Erwin's son Brandon and Fran Hancock, the husband's husband. They each play an outstanding role in the business.

Sheppard Farms has planted about 250 hectares of sugar corn, 200 hectares, 160 acres of paprika, 150 acres of asparagus and 30 hectares of green pumpkin for the 2025 season. In addition, Sheppard Farms has 200 hectares of certified organic products in his surgical family.

About eastern fresh breeders
Eastern Fresh Growers is the marketing end of Sheppard Farms after harvesting and offers its services for other local producers and fresh products. Eastern Fresh was founded in 1984 and works from a multifunctional setup of approximately 100,000 square meters with several packaging areas, special break rooms and a complete selection of pre -cool capacities. The packaging area is temperature-controlled and the product and employee flow is optimized for food safety. Eastern Fresh is currently in the process of installing a floor Solar field to control the needs of the facility. The aim is to have this system online and in the 2025 season.

Consumers can find out which Jersey Fresh Produce comes in the season and where they are sold with Findjerseyfresh.com.

Further information on the New Jersey Department of Agriculture can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/njdeptofagriculture and www.facebook.com/jerseyfreshofficialor Twitter @Njda and @jerseyfeshnjda.