TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher, New Jersey Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials will visit the farm stand at Rottkamp Farms this week as a reminder that Women, Infant and Children Program and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers can be used to purchase Jersey Fresh produce at local farm stands and farmers markets.
There are 210 farmers statewide serving all 21 New Jersey counties certified to accept both WIC and Senior farmers market vouchers. Each eligible WIC participant receives $20 worth of vouchers to buy fresh produce from authorized farmers.
USDA Regional Administrator Patricia Dombroski, Jaime M. Van Lieu, branch chief of the USDA’s Supplemental Food Programs, and Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly will be joining Secretary Fisher and Commissioner Bennett at Rottkamp Farms to highlight the importance of Farmer’s Market vouchers for seniors and WIC participants.
Rottkamp Farms, which accepts WIC and Senior FMNP vouchers, was established in Bridgeton, N.J., in 1974 when Gerard Rottkamp moved his family from Long Island, N.Y., to continue the farming business he took over from his father in 1965. Sons Michael, Thomas and Gerard Jr. began Rottkamp Farms, Inc. with the purchase of 60 acres in Stow Creek, N.J., and 70 acres in Hopewell Township, and took over the farming operation along with the 30 acres of the home farm.
Eating Jersey Fresh fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products can go a long way to improving overall health. Eating locally also is a good choice for protecting our environment by reducing the miles a meal travels between farm and fork, lessening fuel consumption. In addition, choosing locally grown products helps keep New Jersey farmers on their land, preserving the Garden State’s quality of life.
Secretary Fisher will visit Rottkamp Farms Market 1 p.m. tomorrow at 780 Shiloh Pike, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.
— New Jersey Department of Agriculture