skip to main content skip to main navigation
national ag day  - Click to enlarge

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2018
www.nj.gov/agriculture 
PO Box 330
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0330   

Contact:
Jeff Wolfe
P: (609) 633-2954
C: (609) 433-1785
E: jeff.wolfe@ag.state.nj.us   

              

Garden State Ranks In Top 10 Nationally in Variety of Food and Agriculture Products

(TRENTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today marked National Agriculture Day, reminding all New Jersey residents of the important place agriculture holds in their daily lives and the economic prosperity it brings to the Garden State.

National Agriculture Day highlights the abundance provided by agriculture and the importance of farmers to New Jersey and the nation. Farmers in the State produce more than $1.1 billion each year from their sales.

“Agriculture Day is an exciting time when we look forward to the upcoming growing season and appreciate our State’s farmers for providing safe, abundant and affordable high-quality products,” Secretary Fisher said.  “New Jersey agriculture is diverse, from growing more than 100 different fruits, vegetables and herbs as well as grains, plants, trees, shrubs and flowers to producing eggs, milk, meat, seafood and fiber.  It is a day to celebrate the Garden State.”

New Jersey ranks nationally in the top 10 in the U.S. in production of clams, sea scallops, surf clams, cranberries, blueberries, eggplant, bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, peaches, apples, blueberries, cucumbers, squash, cut Christmas tree farms, snap beans, seafood catch, agritourism and floriculture sales, cabbage, wine, and seafood landings.

Fisher said agriculture plays a significant role in maintaining a strong economy, and provides numerous career opportunities including: farm production; agribusiness management and marketing; agricultural research and engineering; food science, processing and retailing; banking; education; landscape architecture; urban planning; energy; and many more.

With more than 9,000 farms on over 720,000 acres, New Jersey farmers are stewards of the land, contributing to the health, beauty, productivity and quality of our water and soil resources for the benefit of all State residents.

Approximately 11 percent of total U.S. employment is in agricultural-related fields, and one in 12 American jobs is dependent on agriculture. These are the people working in ag-related support, processing and marketing activities. Northeast agriculture’s impact in these related fields includes 483,375 jobs and $103.4 billion in economic activity being generated throughout the region, according to Farm Credit East’s Northeast Economic Engine report.

###

To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA1 and @JerseyFreshNJDA.