Jersey Fresh local peaches available throughout the 2022 growing season

Locally grown Jersey Fresh peaches should be available in plentiful supplies from very early July until mid-September, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council. Bonnie Lundblad, chair of the council said, “Our season usually begins with the yellow-fleshed variety Sentry around July 4, with a sprinkling of very early white and yellow fleshed peaches. Our final shipments are around September 15, with the heaviest volume concluding around Labor Day.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

The late season varieties include Encore, Autumn Glo, Flame Prince and the new variety Tiana.” We target most promotions to consumers in New Jersey and the New England and mid-Atlantic regions, from mid-July through Labor Day, when some of the best local Jersey Fresh peaches are plentiful in stores, U-Pick operations, individual and Community Farmers Markets.

Matt Duffield, NJPPC director, and operator of Duffield Farms in Sewell, NJ, reports a variable crop of peaches in their plantings. He and his dad, David, grow a wide variety of peaches and nectarines, both white and yellow-fleshed throughout the New Jersey peach season. They anticipate each variety has a different crop load as was observed on a recent Rutgers Fruit meeting on their home farm.

“Our customers want a variety of fruit types, which integrate with the extensive list of other produce items,” said David, while Matt said, “We grow only tree-ripened fruit and sell locally at our own farm market and community farmers markets in southern New Jersey. We also retail peach cider, peach slushies, peach pies and other baked goods and deli items incorporating peaches.”

Joe Nichols, owner of Nichols Orchards in Franklin Township, reports a lighter than normal crop of peaches and nectarines. Nichols a longtime member of NJPPC, feels he has maybe about 60 percent because of some spring low temperature injury.

“Our crop varies from variety to variety, and the location of the block to wind machines, which ran a few times this spring,” said Nichols. “The wind machines and other bloom-delay techniques were worth the great expense in increasing our production. We expect to have peaches and nectarines to wholesale throughout the summer. Since we sell tree-ripened fruit, we expect a strong demand.”

John Maccherone, NJPPC member, with his father Santo, are owners of Circle M Farms in Salem County, NJ. They have a full crop of peaches and nectarines this season. “We have many varieties of white and yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines, most of which are being thinned for improved fruit size and quality,” said Maccherone. “We expect a much better season with good demand compared to 2021 when the pandemic hampered our marketing program.”  The

Maccherones pack and wholesale under the Circle M label. They also sell Circle M peach cider drink, growing in popularity at Eastern US Farm Markets. The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council is a 72-year-old voluntary organization of peach growers, wholesalers, distributors and allied industry that market products needed by the peach industry. Information on the NJ Peach industry with emphasis on promotional programs and sources of peaches both wholesale and retail can be found at www.jerseypeaches.com.

The News in Charts is a collection of stories from the industry complemented by charts from Agronometrics to help better tell their story.

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