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Posted August 7, 2002 -- Photos by Fritz Rethage
National Farmer's Market Week
Celebrated in Hasbrouck Heights
NJ Secretary of
Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus visited the 3rd Annual Hasbrouck Heights Farmer's Market at
The Boulevard and Washington Avenue on August 6, 2002 as part of National Farmers Market
Week.
The Secretary carefully surveyed the fresh produce displays, sampled (and shared) peaches
while providing informational comments.
Mr. Kuperus met with farmers Bob Van Thun and George Asprocolas and discussed their family
farm operations. Bob Von Thun, 35, was named New Jersey Young Farmer of the
Year in 2001. He farms 90 acres of his own land, which has been in his family since
1913, and an additional 60 acres that he leases. George Asprocolas of Millstone
Township in Monmouth County, has been farming his 12 acres since 1992.
The Agriculture Secretary talked with Assemblywoman Rose Marie Heck, Mayor William J.
Torre, Councilman Justin Di Pisa and Chamber President Tom Meli -- as well as members of
the press and the public.
Three children dressed as a green pepper, a tomato and ear of corn distributed nutritional
information about vegetables.
The August 6th Farmer's Market merchant co-sponsor was Andy Chermark and the World of
Wireless, 361 Route 17 South, HH.
The HH Farmer's Market is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce in association with the
non-profit NJ Council of Farmers and Communities (NJCFC), the grassroots, not-for-profit
organization that assists the municipalities that host these markets (with the aid and
sponsorship of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s "Jersey Fresh"
program and the U.S.Department of Agriculture), has insisted that everything sold at a
Farmers Market be "Jersey Fresh" -- grown in, and by, New Jersey farmers.
Other Bergen County Farmers Markets include: Englewood, River Vale, Teaneck, Ridgewood and
Fair Lawn. In 2000, more than 35 markets state-wide were open at least one day a
week.
Such community-based programs
give New Jersey farmers much-needed revenue, agriculture officials say. Farmland in
New Jersey is steadily declining. In 1950 there were 26,900 farms in the state; in 1990,
the last year for which comparable data were available, there were 8,100, according to the
federal Department of Agriculture. Farming in New Jersey directly employs about
18,000 people.
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Previous Farmer's Market stories --
Farmer's Market on July 9, 2002 [Photos]
2001 Farmer's Market [Photos]
Farmers' markets bring food to the people, and people to downtown [Record, June 26, 2001]
2000 [First day photos] [Background information]
Farmer's Market co-sponsor was Andy Chermark of World of Wireless, 361 Route 17 South, HH.
The Agriculture
Secretary, Assemblywoman Rose Marie Heck and
Mayor William J. Torre, talked with members of the press.
