Posted on 07/25/2006 9:37:32 PM PDT by Coleus
Perched on the hillside of Wightman's Farms in Harding, the peach trees' fingerlike branches offer visitors yellow- and white-fleshed gifts. The orchard parcel is home to the Jersey peach -- one of 150 farms, about 8,000 acres in all, that grow the fruit, state officials said.
Yesterday, growers, officials and industry experts gathered at Wightman's to sing the praises of the iconic, juicy, summer fruit, whose very name has become slang for something well liked. "New Jersey peaches are 'leaners,'" Department of Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus said at the farm. "You have to lean over, otherwise the juice falls on your shirt."
The department formed a "Peach Task Force" three years ago after an economic downturn for state growers, and has been looking to create a "new optimism" in the volatile industry, he said. Last year, the state created a new "Premium Jersey Fresh Grade" of peach to help growers carve out a marketing advantage, and Gov. Jon Corzine proclaimed this July "Peach Month."
State farmers, restaurateurs and fruit experts said yesterday they want to make sure consumers continue to get their shirts sticky with Jersey Fresh products, even as growers compete against what they call the "800-pound gorilla" -- the California peach industry. Warm weather states like South Carolina and Georgia also have it easier, they said.
Still, New Jersey ranks fourth among states in peach production, annually producing 60-70 million pounds, or $40 million, of peaches, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council. Spokesman Philip Neary said the state's proximity to the New York market is a benefit, allowing state growers to beat California peaches to East Coast markets here by several days.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
"The key advantage is freshness," he said. Neary said the Jersey industry has narrowed over the past few decades, but farm acreage dedicated to peaches has held steady since the 1990s. The other key has been innovation, both in developing new varieties and encouraging Jersey chefs to whip up tasty dishes. Both efforts were on display yesterday at Wightman's, as novel types of "flat" peaches, like the Saturn peach, sat near bowls of peach soup, peach carpaccio and pork tenderloin with fresh peaches.
But Ken Wightman, owner of the farm, said there's nothing like a fresh peach right off the tree. "It becomes part of a family outing," he said, noting that pick-your-own season lasts into September. It's not an easy business, though. Newly planted trees yield little for the first few years. After the fourth year, the trees hit their prime for about a decade -- requiring constant pruning -- and then decline, Neary said. Thirty years ago, state fruit breeders used hybrids to develop what became known as the Saturn, or "Donut," peach, according to Joe Goffreda, director of the Rutgers Fruit Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge. That variety has become a nationwide phenomenon. Though only a handful of peach varieties existed a few decades ago, there are now hundreds, industry experts said. State orchards grow everything from the early-season Sentry and Red Haven to the Loring, Jersey Flamin' Fury, Bounty, Cresthaven, Jersey Queen and Encore.
Goffreda said he considers the hybrid process an "art," in which he begins with a blank slate and tries to develop something growers and supermarkets will want. Recently, he tried to use hybrids to create an all-yellow Saturn peach. "The first (genetic) cross we got, we nailed it," Goffreda said. Growing the peaches, though, is a hard thing to get right, especially in colder climates, farmers say. That has led to the state and industry initiatives to promote Jersey peaches.
The state's Web site, www.jerseyfresh.nj.gov, and the industry's, www.jerseypeaches.com., can help consumers locate markets and inquire about varieties.
Yesterday, chef Bruce Lefebvre, of The Frog and the Peach restaurant in New Brunswick, cooked up the peach carpaccio, which also featured duck confit, baby arugula and spiced almonds. He said it's a popular dish with customers, and there's a reason: "They love the Jersey peaches."
I'm afraid that there will be no hope until peach growers stop pitting themselves against each other.
[hey, someone was bound to say it]
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