Why are there no Jersey fresh farm-grown strawberries for sale at New Jersey supermarkets? Typically, the berries sold in plastic containers in our supermarkets are from Driscoll’s, a company headquartered in California, not in the Garden State. Most of the strawberries that are grown in New Jersey are extremely perishable, so they are sold directly from farms to farm stands and farmers’ markets, and most times do not end up in supermarkets because they spoil too quickly, said Doug Fisher, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture.
He said the berries found in supermarkets (like the ones from Driscoll's) are grown with the intention of being shipped so they lose some of the basic properties that people are looking for, such as sweetness.
But Jersey-grown berries are incredibly plump and sweet, and that’s what people are looking for, Fisher said. However, because they are so perishable they are typically sold at farmers’ markets and farm stands where they are snatched up pretty quickly.
Source: nj1015.com