Statement to Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 138 — State of New Jersey

Summary

An Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee statement to Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 138, State of New Jersey, dated October 24, 2024, reporting the resolution favorably. The resolution honors the 40th anniversary of the Jersey Fresh program, described as the first state-sponsored agricultural commodity marketing and quality grading program. Jersey Fresh produce must meet U.S. No. 1 Fresh for Processing grade or better, and the statement says consumer recognition in 2020 was on par with major national brands. It lists related programs modeled on Jersey Fresh, including Made with Jersey Fresh, Jersey Grown, Jersey Raised and Jersey Seafood.

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ASSEMBLY COMMERCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURE
COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 138

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: OCTOBER
24, 2024

The Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and
Agriculture Committee reports favorably Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 138.

This concurrent resolution honors the 40th anniversary
of the Jersey Fresh program, which was the first state-sponsored agricultural
commodity marketing and quality grading program to promote the State’s
agricultural industry. The Jersey Fresh program helps support family owned
farms across New Jersey through its marketing campaigns that inform shoppers of
what produce is in season and encourages consumers to shop local. The Jersey
Fresh program’s distinct label placed on locally harvested produce assists
consumers to easily differentiate fruits and vegetables grown in New Jersey
from other produce in the marketplace.

The Jersey Fresh program encourages consumers to
purchase locally grown produce through its quality and freshness guarantees.
Specifically, the Jersey Fresh quality grading program requires Jersey Fresh
produce to meet U.S. No. 1 Fresh for Processing grade or better. With this
added quality assurance, the Jersey Fresh label guarantees that its produce was
freshly harvested in New Jersey, has been inspected, and meets high quality
standards.

The Jersey Fresh program has demonstrated success in
increasing New Jersey consumers’ awareness of, and willingness to purchase,
locally harvested produce. Consumer recognition of Jersey Fresh products has
extended beyond the State to the mid-Atlantic and New England markets and, in
2020, was on par with that of other major national brands. Today, the Jersey
Fresh program is recognized as a national model for other state-sponsored
agricultural branding programs.

The Jersey Fresh program’s innovative marketing
strategies have contributed to the program’s longevity and popularity. New
Jersey produces over 100 types of fruits and vegetables and is nationally
ranked in the top 10 producers of blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, squash,
tomatoes, and cranberries. The Jersey Fresh program has expanded across the
State and is available to New Jersey residents in every county, including at
over 2,000 On-Farm Markets run by local New Jersey farmers, community farmers
markets, major retail stores, wineries, breweries, and distilleries. The
Jersey Fresh program’s popularity and demonstrated success has also inspired
related programs modeled after the Jersey Fresh program, including the Made
with Jersey Fresh program, which identifies processed food made with fresh,
locally sourced ingredients; the Jersey Grown program, which advertises New
Jersey grown plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers; the Jersey Raised program,
which markets livestock raised in New Jersey; and the Jersey Seafood program,
which promotes aquacultured and wild-caught fish and seafood products harvested
off of New Jersey’s coast.

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