By Erin McFeeters
Lone Star State, The First State, The Last Frontier, Sunshine State, Keystone State—each state across the U.S. has a nickname that’s on license plates and welcome center t-shirts. Besides beautiful beaches, changing seasons, and easy commutes to major cities, New Jersey is known as the Garden State.
History
Camden County resident and former New Jersey Attorney General Abraham Browning is credited with giving New Jersey the nickname of the Garden State in 1876 while speaking at the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition on New Jersey Day, according to the State of New Jersey.
It wasn’t until 1954, 78 years after New Jersey was first referred to as the Garden State, that the state legislature passed a bill to have The Garden State added to license plates. However, the governor at the time, Gov. Robert Meyner, did not believe the slogan would resonate with the average citizen, so he vetoed the bill. The legislature overrode the veto and the slogan was added to license plates soon after.
Fast forward to present day and the slogan still stands. Even though New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states in the U.S. agriculture remains an important industry and 17 percent of the state is comprised of farmland, according to NJ Monthly.
Jersey Fresh
In the early 1980s, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture established Jersey Fresh to inform consumers which fruit and vegetables are grown in the Garden State. New Jersey grows more than 100 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, plus is nationally ranked in the top 10 as a producer of blueberries, eggplant, bell peppers, and more.
The Jersey Fresh campaign has increased consumer awareness substantially to eat locally grown produce, and the campaign has become a benchmark for other states to initiate their own campaigns.
Summer Farm Activities
Throughout the state, farms offer seasonal activities so locals and tourists alike can experience Jersey farms in action. Summer is prime time for harvesting New Jersey’s state fruit, blueberries.
Over 100 years ago, the first cultivated blueberry, the highbush blueberry, was first grown in New Jersey by the daughter of a cranberry farmer, Elizabeth White. Since then, the blueberry industry has flourished across the nation. New Jersey remains a top 10 producer of the fruit and the production value triumphs any other Jersey crop at $62.4 million, according to Jersey Fresh.
Many blueberry farms even offer pick your own opportunities, for a fully immersive farm to table experience.
Hammonton is a hot spot of blueberry farms in the state with over 10 farms dedicated almost entirely to blueberries—Blueberry Bill Farms, DiMeo Blueberry Farms & Blueberry Plants Nurse, Lindsay’s Pick Your Own Blueberries, Rosedale Blueberry Farm, Atlantic Blueberry Co., and more. Make sure to check in with the farm before you take the trip; the best time to pick blueberries is late-June through August.
Not a blueberry fan? Other top 10 producing crops in the state include eggplant, peaches, cranberries, asparagus, bell peppers, spinach, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. Learn more about New Jersey’s top producing crops here.