For New Jersey produce, state says ‘locals only’

If you’re driving to the Shore this weekend through Gloucester or Salem counties, enjoy the scenery. The fields along the rural roads on your shortcut of choice are thick with the corn you’ll be feasting on into the fall. Butternut squashes can be seen from the road, and zucchini is everywhere. 

Peaches are also peaking, and the state is trying to make sure you’re getting the real thing when you load up on “locally grown” Jersey Fresh fruit. Ed Colimore reported in Wednesday’s Inquirer that the state Agriculture Department wants a new rule that “items promoted as local come from farms in the Garden State or within 30 miles of its borders.” 

So if your blueberries came from Delaware, you can call them locally grown. But don’t try to sell any Lancaster County produce at Jersey Shore farm stand and say it’s from around here. On Tuesday, I picked up homegrown peaches from Duffield’s in Sewell (by coincidence, one of the farm markets state agriculture officials visited on a tour this week) that are as big as softballs. 

They also had a precious few packages of zucchini blossoms, a steal at $4.99 for six. Artie Bucco would be pleased.