N.J. Department of Ag marks start of Jersey Fresh peach harvest
New Jersey’s peach harvest is officially underway. To mark the occasion, New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Doug Fisher visited Larchmont Farms in Upper Pittsgrove, N.J., where he highlighted the Jersey Fresh peach harvest.
“The New Jersey peach industry is having a great crop this year, and we encourage people to ask for this fabulous fruit at their favorite farm stand, farm market or supermarket,” Fisher said in a news release. “When you buy Jersey Fresh you are showing your support of our farmers in the Garden State.”
Larchmont Farms is a 12th-generation farm owned by Tom Dunn and Charles and Keith Haines. Located on more than 800 acres, the farm grows high-quality peaches and other fruits, the release said. Larchmont Farms runs its entire operation on solar power and has all of its fruit packed in boxes that are made from 100% recycled paper, according to the release.
“The season is off to a great start, and we are anticipating an outstanding year,” Charles Haines said in the release. “The weather we have had so far has been what we need. We take great pride in the steps we’ve taken in making our operation environmentally friendly and plan to continue a family business that started in colonial times.”
Related: Spreading the word about ‘Jersey Fresh’
New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches, ranking in the top five in production in the U.S. most years, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers annually harvest approximately 60 million pounds with a wholesale value of about $35 million on nearly 4,000 acres.
All of New Jersey’s peach crop is sold to the fresh market via supermarkets, farm markets, specialty produce stores, you-pick operations, and community farmers markets. Jersey peaches are shipped all over the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada.
According to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council, yellow flesh comprises 90% of Jersey peaches, white flesh makes up 4%, yellow and white flesh nectarines are 6% and the newer doughnut, or flat peaches, make up less than 1%.
Related: New Jersey harvests expected to exceed last year
The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is Sentry, followed by Gala, Flavorcrest, Loring and Red Haven, the release said. Next is the John Boy season followed by the Crest Haven, Gloria, Jersey Queen and Fayette varieties. The Encore and Laurol varieties wrap up the state’s peach season in mid-to-late September. White peaches are expected to begin shipping around the end of July and continue through mid-September.
Visit Find Jersey Fresh to learn what is available and where to buy Jersey Fresh items.
Related: Digging deeper into New Jersey’s organic produce history
