New Jersey growers, marketers ride the waves of demand

This year could see relatively calm waters after the great stormy ocean of 2020, when some produce companies drowned and others kept treading water while the fortunate ones soared high on a wave of retail.

Nardelli Bros. Inc. and Lake View Farms in Cedarville, N.J., are still seeing 30-40% higher retail demand more than a year after the pandemic shook up the supply chain in 2020.

“We made inroads with people cooking at home that introduced more of our commodity base,” said Bill Nardelli, president and owner. “People are cooking and utilizing vegetables that they never did before.”

While foodservice demand is still not back to what it was pre-pandemic, it’s improving by the day, and the retail side is booming and demand is as diverse as ever, New Jersey growers and marketers say.

“With the combination of new consumers who sought out and purchased Jersey Fresh last year, along with restaurants and other outlets opening back up this year, we expect the customer demand to be strong,” said New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher. “Our growers are continuing to expand in the micro-niche crops for multicultural populations.”

And the intense challenges of shortages and skyrocketing rates of freight, labor, trucks and pallets have made buying local or regional even more attractive. 

Glassboro, N.J.-based Sunny Valley International is experiencing the same challenges as many others with truck availability and freight rates.

“That said, we think this will ultimately work to our advantage, given our proximity to the New York, Philadelphia, New England and Mid-Atlantic markets,” said Tom Beaver, director of sales and marketing. 

“We can deliver product that was picked, packed and shipped within 24-48 hours, and we can do it at a more competitive delivered cost than our competitors in other growing regions.”

Nardelli said he thinks parents are still cooking at home for their families more often and enjoying more of a dinner-table experience of yesteryear.

“It’s been more soups cooked, more salads served in the home for quite some time. It’s great for healthy eating and great for vegetable business,” he said.

Of course, wholesale and foodservice business have been off considerably, he said, but Nardelli’s customer ratio has always been about 80% retail and 20% wholesale/foodservice.

The biggest retailers in New Jersey are Shop Rite, Acme, Aldi, Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Safeway and Stop & Shop, he said.

Growers and marketers want consumers to keep looking for that Jersey Fresh label.

Imported product has its place, especially when the commodity is not in season regionally or domestically, “but with our local chain stores, we want them to see them promoting Jersey Fresh asparagus when it can be harvested and delivered in five to six hours,” Nardelli said. 

“We are the customers. It’s our community, so we like to have equal participation. We’re shopping in those stores and want to see our product in our stores.”

With increasing freight costs West to East, New Jersey’s logistics network should provide some pricing advantages in the markets we serve, Fisher said. 

Customer demand for local produce at Consalo Family Farms, Egg Harbor City, N.J., is great, and Chelsea Consalo said she’s excited to see retailers seeking state-grown crops right now. 

Labor rates are even more of a challenge than freight rates because it affects many aspects of the operation, which includes The Fresh Wave, Vineland, N.J. 

“As a vertically integrated company, we are not only a grower, but also a packer and a shipper, and we employ various positions,” said Consalo, vice president of produce operations. 

“We are very fortunate to have returning crews who have been with Consalo Family Farms for many years, but as we grow, the need for more labor is growing with us.”

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