Vineland produce auction opens early season with strong demand

Strong early demand pushed the Vineland Cooperative Produce Auction into its 95th season two weeks ahead of schedule, with spring vegetables arriving before the calendar had fully turned to summer. That earlier start meant South Jersey buyers were already seeing kale, Swiss chard, cilantro, bok choy, parsley and asparagus move through the market as weather brought the harvest on faster than usual.

Office manager Carol DeFoor said the season opened with a broader mix of crops and a steady flow of product, a combination that matters well beyond the auction floor in Vineland. The auction handles millions of packages of produce each year, and that volume helps move South Jersey crops to consumers along the East Coast and into Canada. For growers, it remains a dependable outlet in a market where timing, weather and buyer demand can shift quickly.

The early weeks have also shown how the crop mix is changing. DeFoor said acreage is down for asparagus, while lettuce and cabbage are gaining ground. At the same time, specialty peppers and ethnic vegetables are building momentum, including shishitos, Anaheims, poblanos, bok choy, napa and Spanish herbs. That shift reflects a wider market adjustment, as growers plant toward items buyers are ordering more often and away from crops with less acreage or weaker returns.

Even with that change, the auction’s core lineup remains familiar to Cumberland County agriculture: bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes still anchor the season. New items are being added each week as the harvest advances, giving growers a place to move product and giving buyers a steadier pipeline of local produce. The stronger opening suggests that demand is already helping shape what comes out of South Jersey fields, and what reaches kitchens and store shelves next.