Jersey Fresh Farms
Close your eyes and say the words
"Jersey Fresh" to conjure up images of fat, juicy,
fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes and crisp, sweet,
direct-from-the-field corn. Famous for its fresh produce,
it is South Jersey's family-run farms, many of which have
been handed down for generations, which give the state its
nickname "The Garden State."
When the crops come in, it is almost a celebration of
abundance with roadside farm stands and markets dotting the
countryside. Some farmers invite you to get in on the act
with pick-it-yourself orchards and fields. And come autumn,
many turn their farms into agricultural playgrounds with
hayrides, corn mazes and other activities.
In Gloucester County, at
Duffield's Farm in Sewell, you can pick peas,
strawberries, and pumpkins, as well as take hayrides, wander
through a corn maze and experience the hands-on learning
center. In Mullica Hill, you can fill your basket with just
about every fruit under the sun at
Moods Farm Market. You'll have your pick of
okra, tomatoes, greens, collards, chowder peas and more at
Royal Acre Farm in nearby Williamstown. And if the old adage
about an apple a day keeping the doctor away is true, then
you'll want to head to
Heritage Station
where they grow almost a dozen
varieties of apples.
In the heart of South Jersey,
Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill also sells
u-pick strawberries, pumpkins and other vegetables, along
with New Jersey's own signature wines, produced from three
Garden State vintners.
Nearby in Burlington County,
Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford has u-pick
strawberries, sweet corn, peaches, nectarines, sweet
cherries, apples, pumpkins and more.
Indian Acres Tree Farm is open mid-September
for pumpkins and after Thanksgiving for Christmas trees. If
blueberries are your favorite fruit, you've come to the
right place. First cultivated in New Jersey, the blueberry
is the official state fruit and they are plentiful. In fact,
there are more than a dozen farms where blueberries not only
abound but where you can pick your own.
And there's lots more in our fields. Pick everything from
spinach and squash to peppers and pears at Conte Farm and
Four Winds Farm in Tabernacle, Grossman Farms, Strawberry
Hill Farm and
Russo's Orchard Lane Farm in Chesterfield, Lew's
Farm and Peaches Plus in Moorestown, Lewis Farm in Indian
Mills, River Side Homestead Farm in Cinnaminson, Robson Farm
and Greenhouse in Wrightstown, and Specca Farm in Mt. Holly.
And in one of the most rural areas of South Jersey, J & F
Battiato Farms in Salem features u-pick strawberries ripe
with flavor.
To find out what is ready for harvest and where to go to
pick your own, the
Jersey Fresh website has all the
details.
Pictured: Salem Farmer's Market
Credit: Thomas E. Briglia - Photographics
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