The 9,800 farms in New Jersey are primarily small, family run farms. They
grow over forty different vegetables, twenty different fruits, as well as peanuts, grains, flowers, Christmas trees, and nursery
stock. Hay farmers supply the states 1000s of horse ranches with feed. Five-hundred amateur beekeepers raise 1000s of gallons
of wildflower honey, and keep the states crops pollinated. New Jersey has over 130 dairy farms. Rolling pastures, fields of
green, and pick-your-own farms dot New Jersey's landscape and keep our land open and productive. Seventeen percent
of New Jersey is farmland.
Jersey sweet corn and Jersey
tomatoes along with red and green bell peppers are favorites to the states residents. Developed at Rutgers University, the
aptly named Rutgers Tomato gained fame, along with other Jersey-grown tomatoes and our sweet corn. New Jersey farmers are
some of nations leading producers for tomatoes, sweet corn, and peaches. Blueberries are the state fruit, and New Jersey blueberry
production is well known as a leading producer of the nation's blueberry crop. Elizabeth White domesticated the
high bush wild blueberry into the blueberries cultivated today.
Our cranberry
bogs are also well-known, ranking third in the nation in productivity. South and Central New Jersey were home to masses of
wild cranberries which were an important food source for early American settlers and the Lene-Lenape Indians. In the 1700s
picking wild cranberries before they were fully ripened was punishable by fine.
New Jersey growers sell at many
urban area green markets, as well as directly to the residents of New Jersey at the many roadside stands, on-farm markets
and farmers' markets throughout the state. Most grocery stores feature "Jersey Fresh" foods. Do you know where your
food comes from? If you're lucky, it comes from a New Jersey farmer. Look for "Jersey Fresh" produce or "Jersey
Grown" plants at a farm or market near you. Thank a New Jersey farmer today!
