(HAMMONTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher participated in Jersey Fresh Friday at the Hammonton ShopRite on Friday, August 2. Secretary Fisher joined ShopRite Registered Dietitian Paige Macauley in making a recipe featuring blueberries in the produce area of the store.

Village ShopRite stores around New Jersey host Jersey Fresh Fridays during eight weeks in July and August. These events are run by the store's Registered Dietitian, and take place in the produce departments featuring a different Jersey Fresh fruit or vegetable each week. It allows customers the opportunity to see a variety of recipes where Jersey Fresh produce can be used. The events also promote healthy eating habits by encouraging customers to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables.

“ShopRite has long been one of the key supporters of the Jersey Fresh program,” Secretary Fisher said. “Jersey Fresh Fridays events are a creative and enjoyable way to encourage and inform consumers about the importance of purchasing and eating locally grown fruits and vegetables. Events like these are a great opportunity to highlight delicious produce grown and harvested by our hard working farmers throughout the Garden State.”

With this Jersey Fresh Friday event taking place in Hammonton, Secretary Fisher and Macauley made a dish of Caramelized Blueberry and Basil Ricotta Crostinis. Macauley sets up a table in the produce area from 2 to 4 p.m. each Friday at the Hammonton store. She normally interacts with between 100 and 150 customers during that time and offers them the opportunity to sample the finished recipe.

“I always look forward to our Jersey Fresh Fridays and showing people some of the choices they have and recipes they can use with Jersey Fresh produce,” Macauley said. “I enjoy making the recipes and sharing them with others in hopes they will take home what they learn here and make it part of their regular menu.”

New Jersey is ranked in the top 10 in production value in the United States in 10 different fruits and vegetables, including being No. 3 in peaches and cranberries, No. 4 in bell peppers and spinach and sixth in blueberries, tomatoes and squash.

Like all 140 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, the Hammonton ShopRite features a wide range of Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables. They include blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, peaches and others.

Stay informed about Jersey Fresh on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial, Twitter @JerseyFreshNJDA or Instagram @JerseyFreshNJDA.

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To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and Twitter @NJDA.