The movement of New Jersey corn continues to be steady for this popular summertime item. "We've had a good summer with very good demand on sweet corn. It's been good quality and we've also seen good movement and pricing," says Bill Nardelli Sr. of Nardelli Brothers.
© Nardelli Brothers
While the grower-shipper produces yellow, white, and bicolor corn, it also grows Wild Violet corn, which is a white corn with purple kernels throughout it. "It has always been very popular here with us in our tray pack operation," says Nardelli Sr., adding that the other three colors are sold in tray pack and bulk, while Wild Violet is tray pack only, so consumers can see and appreciate the coloring on the product.
As for the growing season, New Jersey has escaped the heavy rains that some of the other parts of the country have experienced. "Our weather has been drier, so we've continued to irrigate. Our farm is totally irrigated though, so we're able to handle the dry conditions, though I always tell people I'd rather try to put moisture on than try to take it off," says Nardelli Sr.
Other producing regions
While production in New Jersey is similar to this time last year, there are other parts of the country, such as upstate New York, that have been delayed on production due to wet planting conditions. However, by August, generally all the regions in the country growing corn are into harvest, and that's helping keep supply strong.
© Nardelli Brothers
Nardelli Brothers ships corn year-round and will finish its New Jersey production in November, weather-dependent. After that, production shifts to Florida and Georgia. Production began at the end of June with volume, though this year's harvest began slightly earlier, given that some of the varieties have a different age to maturity.
Looking ahead, demand is expected to stay steady, though it tends to soften after Labor Day when kids go back to school. "It can be a bit quieter then, but we'll keep an eye on markets and production and see how things go at that point," says Nardelli Sr.
For more information:
Bill Nardelli Sr.
Nardelli Brothers
Tel.: +1 (856) 447-4000
https://nardellibrosinc.com
