It might be said that New Jersey suffers from an embarrassment of riches. Billions of dollars in revenues and hundreds of thousands of jobs are generated by businesses along the Philadelphia to New York corridor, and Atlantic City’s casinos collectively comprise one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. But what kind of an impression does a drive on Route 1, a flight into Newark International Airport, an Amtrak jaunt through the State or a bus trip to Atlantic City make? Certainly not one that reflects the scenic or cultural values of rural Hunterdon County or any of the shore’s commercial fishing communities, and from a pure “image” perspective, these are among the best. The truth be told, the things that contribute to New Jersey’s juggernaut of an economy are responsible for masking much of the State’s non-urban, non-industrialized character.

            This probably causes many folks – both residents and visitors – to miss some of the best that New Jersey has to offer.

            A vacation at the Jersey Shore couldn’t really be considered complete without a visit to one of our active commercial fishing ports, and folks who are within a reasonable distance owe it to themselves to explore one of our agricultural communities and to sample some of the unsurpassed in-season produce. And one of the benefits of a state where it’s almost impossible to be more than 150 miles from anything is that, allowing for rush hour, you can get to just about anywhere in an hour or two.

            But to enjoy the special character of a working commercial fishing port or a town that still revolves around agriculture, people have to know that such places still exist in New Jersey, and considering everything else that is going on in the State, it’s an awfully hard sell to do that. Who would think that a state that has a central corridor as heavily developed as New Jersey’s, with as many millions of square feet of buildings devoted to research and development and manufacturing, also supports a dynamic agricultural industry only a handful of miles away? Or, that active commercial fishing docks are located virtually in the shadow of the casinos that have brought about the economic rebirth of Atlantic City?

            Fortunately, some of us are hard at work making that sale, and to the extent that they are effective in preserving New Jersey’s rich heritage of producing local farm fresh agricultural products and ocean fresh seafood, they deserve our support and encouragement.

            Premier among these efforts is the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Jersey Fresh program.

 The Jersey Fresh website (http://www.state.nj.us/jerseyfresh/) is an invaluable resource for anyone looking for information about New Jersey agricultural products: when and where they’re available, how to select and prepare them, and which local events celebrate them. The Jersey Seafood companion site (http://www.jerseyseafood.nj.gov/) does the same for the bountiful harvest of New Jersey’s inshore and offshore waters. Each website has a list of events promoting New Jersey seafood and produce, beginning in June and running through October, which span the entire state. From wine tastings through clam festivals to county fairs, there are dozens of events to choose from. 

            In addition, both the Jersey Fresh and the Jersey Seafood programs offer point-of-purchase and other promotional materials aimed at increasing the public awareness of New Jersey as a significant producer of agricultural and commercial fishery products. The Department of Agriculture is also cooperating with other organizations to promote New Jersey products. Through a program jointly initiated by the NJDA and the N.J. Restaurant Association, “over the next few weeks, signs will be going up in New Jersey restaurants that proclaim they are ‘proud to serve New Jersey produced and harvested products when in season.’  The signage will appear as customers enter a restaurant and bear the Jersey Fresh and Jersey Seafood logos.  Pictured on the signs is a plate with a New Jersey seafood entrée and Jersey Fresh produce on the side.”

            It’s obvious what consumers gain from these efforts. Whether residents or visitors, they are being provided with means to more easily access locally produced foods – which are fresher and healthier. They are also exposed to a much broader view of what New Jersey has to offer, being shown that it isn’t all about development. And, and perhaps most importantly, it makes the links between what’s on the table and a healthy environment much more tangible. Once someone knows that a fluke fillet or beefsteak tomato or ear of sweet corn is produced “in the neighborhood,” he or she is going to be much more aware that the quality of the local environment is directly related to the quality of life, that development and food production can and do successfully coexist, and that productive farmlands and fishing grounds are worth far more than a basic benefit/cost analysis might indicate.

            What does New Jersey gain? It maintains a bit of its historical character, it continues to appeal to folks who are attracted by the nickname “The Garden State,” it benefits directly from an abundance of natural resources, and it continues to support a diverse economy. But most importantly, it allows New Jersey to continue to offer a greater level of diversity in less space than any other state is able to (at under 8,000 square miles, it is the 46^th smallest).

            So take advantage of the resources put together by the Department of Agriculture to support New Jersey farmers and New Jersey fishermen. Patronize those restaurants, retail markets and other businesses that proclaim that they proudly provide New Jersey seafood and New Jersey produce. And do whatever you can to ensure that New Jersey remains the Garden State into the future. We’re all going to benefit.