New Jersey

Here’s why Jersey tomatoes are so good

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2024

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Jersey tomatoes are the best. Farmers say that’s due to a combination of our unique soil, climate, locality and a bit of magic.

Bite into a freshly harvested tomato from your local New Jersey farmer this time of year and you’re tasting the best version of what it can be; it’s a crown jewel in the Garden State’s menu of produce.

It follows then that New Jersey consistently ranks in the top ten nationwide in total tomato cultivation — according to the USDA, NJ growers harvested over 56 million pounds of tomatoes last year on 2,400 acres of farmland across the state.

The proof is in the pudding — or, gravy — but it bears worth asking: Why are Jersey tomatoes so good? Is it the soil, the climate, the freshness or the varieties we grow here?

“It’s all of those things,” says Ed Wengryn, secretary of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

Wengryn, university researchers and North Jersey farmers confirm that we’re not just homers, Jersey tomatoes are actually excellent, there’s a robust market for them and there are opportunities to explore even more, even tastier varieties in the future.

Freshness matters for Jersey tomatoes

It’s easy to taste the excellence of Jersey tomatoes when you compare them to the lesser-than produce shipped in from out of state outside of our local harvest season. The run-of-the-mill tomato you’ll find at the grocery store was likely picked before it was ripe and is also probably a tough-skinned, less-tasty variety that’s built to handle the long journey from a farm somewhere hundreds of miles away to your local grocer.

“The commercial industry developed varieties that were designed to ship well,” Wengryn says. “Because we’re close to these big markets around here — Philly, New York and New Jersey — [tomatoes] don’t need to be shelf-stable. It’s here, it’s ripe and ready to go. Ripened on the vine always has a better flavor than things that are green and ripen on the shelf.”

Harvey Ort, of Ort Farms in Long Valley, agrees: “Any fruit or vegetable is much better picked ripe off the vine.”

Ort believes ripening tomatoes on the vine is “80 or 90%” the reason why Jersey tomatoes taste better (to us here in Jersey, at least — Wengryn clarifies that some of our farmers do sell wholesale beyond our region and thus may pack green tomatoes for shipping). Ort conducted a little experiment to prove it on a recent trip to Florida, where he visited a tomato farm that largely sold green tomatoes that would ripen on their long journeys to the consumer.

“We literally went out and had to scavenge to find a red tomato,” Ort says. “We found two or three tomatoes that were red on the vine and they tasted almost as good as a tomato here.”

But because he knows his tomatoes only have to travel the distance from their farm to their customers’ homes, Ort can wait to pick them until they’re very ripe, which as he and Wengryn say, is a big factor for Jersey tomatoes’ supreme taste.

Climate and soil matter (somewhat) for Jersey tomatoes

It’s not the only factor: our fertile soil helps, even if it’s hard for our local farmers to put a finger on why.

“There has to be something with the soil, I believe,” Ort says. “There are things we can’t explain in the world and that’s one of them.”

“I can’t pinpoint it, but it’s definitely something in the soil,” says Kaitlyn Davis, manager at Chester’s Stony Hill Farms. “I hear people from all over, like they live in other states and they always say that Jersey tomatoes are the best.”

The National Resources Conservation Service, however, can help, clarifying that the magic in our soil comes from its existence in a coastal plain. In parts of the state, we have what’s called Downer soil (officially, and don’t ask why we have this, our state soil), which is well-drained soil formed from acidic, loamy ocean sediment. Downer soil is typical of South Jersey, where Wengryn says most of our tomatoes are grown: “It’s that good, sandy, well-drained soil. Slightly acidic, which helps bring out that tang and that acidic bite that people expect of a tomato and that adds some of that flavor and richness.”

Our soil (mostly in South Jersey) also contains glauconite, or green sand, which has been mined in the past as a natural fertilizer.

Davis, however, says North Jersey growers have a unique advantage — our rocky, hilly terrain up here, she thinks, makes tomatoes here superior even to those in South Jersey.

“People are always saying once they pick our tomatoes they’re so much better than even South Jersey,” she says. “South Jersey is a little more sandy, and they’re soil is maybe not as rich as up here. At our farm it’s like there are tons of rocks. I think the rocks give different nutrients in the soil compared to other states.”

Without getting the Stony Hill Farms’ soil tested, it’s hard to know what exactly is working there, but Central and North Jersey farmland also has beneficial acidic soil and unique minerality that can vary from farm to farm.

“It does vary pretty significantly throughout the state so its it would be hard to statistically prove or scientifically prove that it’s one type of soil over another from north to south,” says Peter Nitzsche, agriculture and natural resources agent at Rutgers’ NJ Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES).

Nitsche adds that when it comes to pinpointing the catalyst for our good tomatoes, he, “leans a little more toward variety selection for the site or the soil and that they’re picking varieties that have high sugars and acids and letting them ripen up more than others do.”

One thing that’s a little more consistent statewide is climate, which plays a critical part in growing tomatoes here.

“Warm and humid is sort of what they like for growing conditions. Warm nights help with the ripening. That’s why when we get to August it’s peak season,” says Wengryn. “And then good, regular rainfall, though most growers irrigate. It’s that combination of the perfect kind of humidity and warm temperatures along with the right amount of water and great soils that [have that] slightly acid background.”

Varieties matter for Jersey tomatoes

So because our tomatoes grow well and because they fly off farm stands, we don’t have to worry about how they might hold up a month down the road. The varieties our growers plant are often simply tastier varieties than what you’d find in the store — Nitzsche at NJAES says growers who raise more durable varieties might also, in turn, be planting varieties lower in acid, and thus blander. Ort agrees.

“I think most of us smaller farmers grow the heirloom varieties, but we’re more conscious of flavor,” he says. “There are more varieties that are harder skin and tougher and if you want to pack them and ship them of course you want the hard, rougher skin one because you’re not worrying about it holding up, whereas we’re worrying about that it’s just a solid tomato.”

Ort Farms grows about four varieties of heirlooms, up to eight varieties of cherry tomatoes and more. Davis at Stony Hill Farms, has eight varieties of cherry tomatoes, five heirloom varieties and six globes. They also work with NJAES to help develop new or rescued cultivars.

“We have the Rutgers 250 and some others,” Davis says. “We also have an extension agent that brought us plants that they can trial in our field. It’s a yellow striped tomato. They give it to different farms to see if it does better on a larger scale other than just in their environment.”

Rutgers rescued the eponymous (and delicious) Rutgers tomato and now that variety is available from plant sellers across the state. The Rutgers 250 that Davis sells was developed by the university by crossing the same parent varieties of the original Rutgers tomato way back in 1934.

Tomato experimentation is in our Jersey DNA. Consider Campbell’s tomato soup — the famous South Jersey product was the result of years of growing different tomato species in Cinnaminson, NJ, until the company found just the right tomato to serve as its base. The Rutgers tomato, revived by NJAES several years ago, was originally developed as part of that program.

More: Jersey Firsts: The stories of innovation in NJ, from blueberries to breweries

Now, Nitzsche says, NJAES is developing a yellow-striped grape tomato, Scarlet Blush, and looking for a company to sell it commercially, but part of their work is making the plant those seeds turn into worth owning.

“One of the challenges of the grape tomatoes is they get very tall and they’re a very large plant, which is a lot of work for farmers and gardeners to stake and tie and maintain,” Nitzsche says. “We’re working to develop a shorter variety that’s maybe more easily adapted by local growers, but [that] still maintains the flavor.”

Ultimately, taste matters for Jersey tomatoes

Taste is subjective, of course, but Jersey tomatoes tend to appeal to many, for a variety of reasons. “Perception can influence flavor,” Nitzsche advises. Davis suggests it’s because our tomatoes taste like home.

“There are a lot of people that love those heirloom tomatoes; brings them back to when they were growing up as kids, especially if they’re older generations, it’s like it tastes like that old-fashioned tomato that their parents might have grown, which doesn’t happen as much anymore,” she says.

But maybe finding a reason they’re so good doesn’t matter. Maybe all that matters is that they taste good to you.

“Like everything else, everybody has their own tastes,” Ort says. “You like your steak well-done, I like it rare; it’s the same thing with tomatoes.”

Wengryn puts the appeal of Jersey tomatoes simply: “There are a million ways to eat them. People should try all of them. From salsa to sauces to sliced white bread with mayo and salt and pepper, everything’s better with a Jersey tomato.”

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New Jersey

N.J. school board president apologizes after ‘Coming to America’ remark deemed racist

Published

5 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Press Room

N.J. school board president apologizes after ‘Coming to America’ remark deemed racist

Jersey City School Board President Noemí Velázquez has apologized for a comment she made comparing a trustee’s appearance to the classic comedy, Coming to America.

Trustee Lorenzo Richardson called out Velázquez, saying the remark was racist.

The conflict erupted Thursday night during a board of education meeting in Jersey City.

Velázquez said Richardson was “looking like someone that’s coming to America,” referencing his clothing, which resembled traditional African style.

“I did not appreciate you, because I’m wearing this, saying I’m ‘coming to America,’” Richardson said.

Coming to America is a 1988 film starring Eddie Murphy, who portrayed an African prince who travels to Queens, New York.

“I thought that was disrespectful and, to some degree, racist,” said Richardson, who added he could not believe what she said. “I’m just going to be honest with you.”

Velázquez and Richardson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

Velázquez, originally from Puerto Rico, was elected to the city’s board of trustees in 2019 and is serving her second term as president, according to the board’s website.

The board president said she thought she was giving him a compliment. “If you can’t take it, then that’s up to you,’” she said.”

Richardson said it was no compliment to him.

“I would hope that you accept my apology and that we can move on,” said Velázquez, who apologized publicly. She said she did not mean it in a disrespectful way.

“Nothing should stop us from the job that needs to get done,” Velázquez said.

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New Jersey

Walk-off pin caps instant classic in N.J. wrestling state semifinals

Published

17 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Press Room

Walk-off pin caps instant classic in N.J. wrestling state semifinals

Devin Deubel took the mat with a chance to send Emerson-Park Ridge to the Group 1 state final. His task was direct yet daunting. A win alone would not have been enough. Bonus points were the only way.

“We needed four,” Deubel said. “And I got six.”

Locked in a scoreless bout with Audubon’s Will Graham at 157 pounds in the final bout of the state semifinals, Deubel cinched up a cradle and secured the fall at the 4:38 mark. His walk-off pin gave Emerson an incredible 39-36 victory over Audubon in a wild NJSIAA/IBEW Local 102 Group 1 semifinal match on Friday night in Audubon.

Emerson and Audubon combined for pins in nine of the 14 bouts to highlight a frenetic dual with a trip to the state final on the line. Audubon also received a forfeit and won by decision in two bouts. Emerson also had two wins by decision. The forfeit issued by Emerson to Audubon’s David Borodziuk at 190 pounds would have served as the tiebreaking criterion if Deubel won by decision. He needed at least a major decision, but that or a technical fall was not likely when he and Graham entered the third period tied 0-0.

Graham chose defense and quickly rose to his feet, but Deubel was able to stay on his left leg and maintain control. Graham tried to post with his right hand, but that created the opening that Deubel was waiting for. He immediately locked in a cradle and put Graham to his back for the match-clinching pin.

“We’re a cradle team and I’ve been training that every day in practice,” Deubel said. “I knew it was there, and I got it.”

“We call it the whip,” Emerson head coach Joe Mazzeo said. “The kid’s hand hits and you go near-side [cradle] off of it. We told [Deubel] to win first, and then get the extra points. He went big and it worked out for us.”

“It was getting a little nerve wracking but I had faith in him,” senior Tony Rinkiewicz said. “When they drew the sticks [to determine the starting weight], I said Devin is the guy. I wanted him to get the last match.”

Emerson (17-10) will wrestle Delaware Valley in the Group 1 state championship match at noon on Sunday at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Cavos will be making their fifth state finals appearance and first since 2018. Delaware Valley is the defending Group 1 state champion. The Terriers defeated Hanover Park 58-19 in the other semifinal.

Deubel had the final say, but there were plenty of heroes for Emerson.

At 126 pounds, Rinkiewicz came through with a massive 10-8 decision over Jimmy Moran in a toss-up bout in which he trailed late in the third period. Down 8-4 with less than 30 seconds left, Rinkiewicz scored a reversal and put Moran to his back near the edge of the circle for four near-fall points. His clutch victory put the Cavos ahead 27-21.

“Every day at practice, coach says the only thing you can’t take back is time,” Rinkiewicz said. “And since I’m a senior, I pushed myself all offseason and I’ve been battling through a knee injury. I think about the guys who I practice with every day. We put a lot into the season, and coach keeps saying that if there’s a class to do it, it’s us. I’m just glad we pulled it out.”

“We’re living for the moment,” Mazzeo said. “I told the whole team, live for the moment. That’s why this is a great sport. Anything can happen.”

Emerson senior Tony Rinkiewicz points to the crowd after rallying for a 10-8 win at 132 pounds during the NJSIAA Group 1 wrestling semifinals between Emerson and Audubon on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 at Audubon High School in Audubon.Bob Badders | For NJ.com

Audubon (19-9) entered the semifinals off its first sectional title in program history. The Green Wave defeated Paulsboro in the South, Group 1 final, to become the only team to beat the 44-time sectional champion Red Raiders in their home gym during the state tournament. They won the first two weights with Aydean Leahan winning by fall at 165 pounds and Georgios Kappatos winning by decision at 175. Emerson then forfeited to Borodziuk, the lone state qualifier for either team, at 190 as Audubon extended its lead to 15-0.

Emerson got on the board when senior Chase Monahan won by fall in 52 seconds at 215 pounds, but Audubon senior Jonah Jordan got those points right back with a 41-second pin at heavyweight to put the Green Wave up 21-6 through five bouts.

The momentum shifted in the lower weights. Trailing 6-3 after fighting off his back in the first period, Emerson freshman Jake Falkenstern put Mason Knopka to his back with a cement mixer for a pin at the 2:49 mark. Junior Evan Constante did the same at 113 with four seconds left in the first period. At 120, Joe Dimotta was down 3-0 in the second period when he, too, hit a cement mixer. He was able to keep one toe in bounds to finish off the pin and give Emerson a 24-21 lead.

Rinkiewicz followed with his dramatic win at 126 for a 27-21 Emerson lead.

“I did feel the momentum,” Rinkiewicz said. “It’s one after another. If one guy falls down, the next guy comes up.”

Audubon senior RJ Bauman halted Emerson’s four-bout winning streak when he ran a half-nelson for a pin at 132 pounds to tie the match at 27. Jackson Shannon put Emerson back ahead, 33-27, when he came out on top after a brief scramble to win by fall in the first period at 138.

The 144-pound bout between Audubon’s Jimmy McSweeney and Emerson senior Nate Shannon was a sight to behold. Points were scored so fast the scoreboard could barely keep up. Tied 5-5 after two periods, McSweeney and Shannon combined for a scintillating third period that featured 22 total points.

In the final 30 seconds, McSweeney scored a takedown and two back points to take the lead, but Shannon answered with a reversal to go up 16-15. McSweeney escaped at the buzzer to tie the bout and send it to sudden victory. In overtime, McSweeney hit a fireman’s carry for the winning takedown and a 19-16 decision.

The win at 144 for Audubon pulled the Green Wave within three points. Senior Joem Gonzalez gave them the lead, 36-33, with a second-period pin at 150.

Fittingly, the match ended with a pin in the final bout. Deubel made sure it sent his team to Rutgers.

“I’ve never been in a match like that,” Deubel said. “The stakes were high. I was ready for it. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of nerves, but I kept myself composed and got it done.”

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New Jersey

Nor’easter to hit NJ, NYC? How much snow are we getting and when?

Published

1 day ago

February 20, 2026

Press Room

Nor’easter to hit NJ, NYC? How much snow are we getting and when?

Get ready for another snow tubing trip, stock up on salt, and gas up the snow blowers, New Jersey and NYC, we’re getting more snow this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

A snow storm coming to NJ this weekend could drop “significant” snow on NJ and NYC, as a potential nor’easter Feb. 22 could drop several inches of snow on NJ and NYC, as the next winter storm sweeps across the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic region, NOAA and AccuWeather’s forecast shows.

The coastal storm is expected to strengthen into a nor’easter this weekend, with chances a bomb cyclone near NYC and NJ could form before the storm heads north. The snow comes to NJ as early as Sunday morning, with NYC and NJ getting snow that could surpass 6 inches or more, according to the latest updates from NOAA’s NWS weather forecasters.

A New Jersey snow storm this weekend comes as the region woke to ice, snow and rain this morning, Friday, Feb. 20, triggering winter storm watches, advisories and hazards, with schools closing due to slick roadways.

The winter storm Sunday into Monday will bring the potential for moderate to heavy snowfall across NJ and NYC, with snowfall totals likely between 2 to 4 inches, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly said; however, forecasters say the East Coast snowstorm timing, track and how much it will snow remains uncertain. ere’s what to know about the timing of this weekend’s snow storm, when and how much snow will fall in New Jersey, live NJ doppler radar, predicted snowfall amounts, and the NJ weather forecast this weekend.

Is NJ getting snow this weekend? Is a snow storm coming to NJ?

Yes, New Jersey is getting snow this weekend, with a potentially “significant” nor’easter snow storm coming to NJ by Sunday morning, Feb. 22, according to NOAA’s National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly and AccuWeather forecasts.

The winter snow storm this weekend forecasted to hit NJ, NYC and Philadelphia and the East Coast could drop 6 inches of snow or more, with the risk the storm strengthens rapidly into a bomb cyclone, bringing heavier snow across the Northeast.

Should the storm pass closer to the Jersey Shore, coastal flooding, heavy winds and marine navigation concerns would trigger winter storm warnings, watches and advisories. Keep an eye on the latest NJ weather forecast via NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly, the local National Weather Service office in NJ, where winter weather warnings may be issued as the East Coast storm unfurls.

According to the NWS Philadelphia and Mount Holly Office, here is the percentage probability of 6 inches or more of snow this weekend in NJ and the NYC area:

North Jersey (Sussex, Morris, Warren, Passaic, Bergen areas): 43%
NYC (including Hudson, Union, Essex, fringe Bergen areas): 38%
South Jersey (Jersey Shore, Cape May areas): 27% to 29%
Central Jersey (Trenton, Howell areas): 42%
Philadelphia: 36%

The storm could cause power outages and impact travel in NJ and NYC, so be sure to check NJ Transit delays and cancellations. Be sure to keep an eye on your local forecast for the latest weather conditions.

How much will it snow? Snow accumulation NJ, NYC

The latest National Weather Service forecast for NJ and NYC shows the East Coast storm could bring up to 6 inches of snow across New Jersey and NYC, although there are higher chances the inch count will rise across portions of South Jersey, the Jersey Shore, portions of Central Jersey and higher elevations across North Jersey, including Sussex, Morris, Warren, and Passaic counties. The storm’s track and strength shows a potential nor’easter brewing, NOAA said, that could rapidly become a bomb cyclone, per AccuWeather forecasts.

The exact track of the storm and how quickly it strengthens will determine snowfall amounts, with a more northerly track bringing more impacts to North Jersey, Philadelphia and the Poconos; the coastal storm’s easterly track out to sea confines the storm’s snowfall amounts to coastal areas of NJ, Delaware and Long Island.

Will the snowstorm this weekend hit NYC? Check NYC snow forecast

Yes, a snow storm this weekend in NYC and the tri-state region could impact travel plans into and out of NYC this weekend, with a 64% chance of at least 2 inches of snow across NYC, Long Island and southeast Connecticut, according to NOAA’s NYC office. The track and timing of the winter storm this weekend remains uncertain, with a potential nor’easter and bomb cyclone forming, with AccuWeather and NOAA forecasters saying today that exact snowfall amounts remain uncertain.

Planning to travel to NYC this weekend? To see the NYC weather forecast, check AccuWeather or NOAA’s New York, NY forecast office.

When will the snow start in NJ, NYC? See the NJ snow forecast

A snow storm this weekend in NJ and NYC is expected to start early Sunday morning, with snow starting at 8 a.m. in North Jersey, with snow falling around 9 a.m. in NYC and the Jersey Shore.

The potential nor’easter Sunday and Monday in NJ and NYC ends between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. ET, Monday morning, Feb. 23, likely impacting the morning travel commute, according to AccuWeather’s Wintercast.

Will there be a nor’easter Sunday?

A potential nor’easter Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 and into Monday, Feb. 23, hitting NJ, NYC and Philadelphia areas is possible; however, NOAA’s NWS and AccuWeather forecasters continue to track snowfall amounts and are timing out the snow storm coming across Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, across Virginia and along I-95 corridor and across the Delmarva Peninsula, then New Jersey and New York before heading toward Boston and Maine.

Will there be a bomb cyclone? NJ, NYC bomb cyclone forecast

Yes, a bomb cyclone this weekend in NJ and NYC is possible, AccuWeather said. A snow storm strong enough to bring several inches of snow to NJ and NYC Sunday, Feb. 22, into Monday, Feb. 23, could unleash a bomb cyclone, AccuWeather forecasts show. The storm is expected to evolve into a “significant nor’easter” along the Atlantic coast, and rapidly strengthen as it moves away. A bomb cyclone, or bombgenesis, is the explosive development of a storm, resulting in lower atmospheric pressure. Read more here.

Winter storm warnings

To keep track of the potential Northeast snow storm and the storms impacts, NOAA’s NWS winter storm warnings in NJ or NYC will be updated live in the map below. This includes winter storm warnings, watches and advisories.

NJ weather radar NJ, NYC

To check live conditions in New Jersey and NYC area, see the live Doppler radar from the NWS below. Hit refresh on your browser for the latest radar loop.

Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.

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