New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher last week visited the Lipman Family Farms Value Added Facility in West Deptford, and ZRH Farms, to highlight the company’s partnership.
In addition to ZRH Farms, Lipman also supports a number of other local producers, including F&R Grasso Farms, Angelo Grasso & Son Farm, Triple B Farm, each in Gloucester County, Spina Farms in Salem County, and R & R Flaim Farms in Cumberland County. The produce that Lipman processes and distribute includes, but is not limited to, green bell peppers, chili peppers, eggplant, hard and soft squash, and vine ripe tomatoes.
“Lipman Family Farms is very supportive of our farmers here in the Garden State, and they move significant volumes of produce in this region and all around the nation,” Secretary Fisher said.
The West Deptford facility is a wholesale operation that repacks and processes a number of items for customers across the country. Lipman Family Farms uses several Jersey Fresh vegetables in its processing facilities for sliced and diced products, fajita mixes, pico de gallo/salsa mixes, ingredient solutions, and others.
“We have been doing business in the Philadelphia area for over 50 years and the relationships we’ve built with our partner growers in New Jersey have given us the ability to provide fresh produce for our retail and foodservice customers across the U.S.,” said Lipman Family Farms Community and Government Relations Director Jaime Weisinger. “These family owned farms share the same values that our business was fostered on, conscientious farming with an emphasis on quality and consistency.”
ZRH Farms is owned and operated by Zach Heiken, who farms approximately 3,500 acres, mostly in Salem County. Heiken’s partnership with Lipman includes growing green peppers, cucumbers, and other produce.
“The partnership we have forged with Lipman Family Farms has been essential to our growth,” said ZRH Farms owner and operator Zach Heiken. “They’ve given us the confidence we can plant more acres in fresh vegetables giving us the best chance to make a profit at the end of the season.”
From left to right: Secretary Fisher, Jaime Weisinger (Lipman Family Farms Director, Community and Government Relations), Zach Heiken (ZRH Farms owner and operator), and David Ackers (Lipman Family Farms Manager, Procurement and Sales).
New Jersey produce
New Jersey’s 9,900 farms cover more than 750,000 acres and generate cash receipts of more than $1.1 billion each year. Food and agriculture are New Jersey's third largest industry, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue to the state.
Garden State farmers grow more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New Jersey is ranked in the top 10 nationally in the production of blueberries, cranberries, peaches, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, sweet corn, spinach, squash, and asparagus.
Contact:
Jeff Wolfe
New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Tel: (609) 633-2954
jeff.wolfe@ag.nj.gov
www.nj.gov/agriculture/