Co-presidents Steven Espinosa and Albert Grimaldi are leading the charge at Fru-Veg Marketing.

Three seasons ago, the company partnered with Berry Bros. allowing Fru-Veg to expand its blueberry program to include domestic blueberries to customers from farm-to-table and also create a 12-month, year-round supply of fresh blueberries. Now the two companies have started a bigger project together.

Late winter 2021 and early spring 2022 saw a number of typical weather events, including cold temperatures, rains and wind, but as of the third week in May, John Galaida of Pleasantdale Farms was looking forward to a good season for New Jersey blueberries.

Blueberries are one of New Jersey’s signature crops, and with the season only weeks away, early estimations are that it’s going to be a strong crop, on par with last year.

With rising input costs and supply chain issues, grower Diamond Blueberry Inc., based in Hammonton, NJ, has taken mitigating steps toward a successful season. “We bought supplies early so we would have a good supply of inputs to start out with,” said Diamond’s David Berger. “We wanted to get a jump on having everything we needed. We are preparing now and trying to think ahead to be able to have the supply for our customers.”

Consalo Family Farms has been in the farming industry since the 1920s. “I represent my family’s fourth-generation and have watched our company grow and expand from just one tractor to where we are today,” said Chelsea Consalo, EVP of Consalo Family Farms and the Fresh Wave, which is the sole marketer of all products grown by the Vineland, NJ-based company. “Blueberries are what we do. I am personally very passionate about our blueberry farms and spend my summer managing the operation.”

There were a few cold nights in the blueberry capital of the world, but New Jersey blueberries are ripe and ready to start harvesting. Our growers are expecting a full, robust crop of the berries customers crave.

Consumers wait for blueberries from the Garden State all year long because they know Jersey Fresh blueberries will provide the flavor and size they desire.

Jersey Fresh blueberries will be ready for shelves the week of June 13th and remain as the bigger, better more flavorful berries.