Governor signs Jersey Fresh bill into law

TRENTON — Legislation sponsored by Senators Dawn Addiego and Steven Oroho allowing counties to create labels to help promote local agricultural products has been signed into law.
Based on the success of the “Jersey Fresh” marketing program, the legislation authorizes New Jersey counties to create, adopt, and issue their own promotional labels to market agricultural products that are grown, processed, or produced in a specific county.
“There is no denying that the Jersey Fresh program has been a resounding success,” Addiego said. “Now our farms, wineries, and mom-and-pop shops will have the opportunity to localize this initiative. Creating ‘made in your county’ labels is a great way to encourage our residents to shop local and support the business owners right in their own backyard.”
According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, food and agriculture account for the state’s third-largest industry, with 9,000 farms totaling 720,000 acres. The Garden State is a national top-ten producer of fruits and vegetables, with a wide range of products from eggplants to blueberries.
“Farming has a long tradition of providing the Garden State with over 100 different fresh fruits and vegetables,” Oroho added. “This new law will help advance local farm-to-table initiatives and enhance efforts to encourage residents to buy locally grown fruits, vegetables, eggs, and many other neighborhood products.”