Local vs. Organic Produce

The sun is shining and the rain from Memorial Day weekend is long behind us, but the official start of summer doesn’t mean the start of local season – varieties out of New Jersey have been gracing our coolers since the beginning of May. The 2026 local season has been slow to ramp up after the volatile winter we had, but that doesn’t change this market trend: consumer preferences are shifting and ‘local’ is starting to become more prioritized than ‘organic.’

Why the Shift?

• Quality: International product is picked (sometimes underripe), packaged, and shipped. It then must pass through customs or the port, and eventually lands in the hands of the consumer, sometimes going through other parts of the supply chain before getting there. Local products, on the other hand, are picked in the field and passed along to the commercial market, meaning there is less time between harvest and consumption compared to international varieties. A lot of consumers prefer this because it is viewed as fresher and more flavorful.
• The Local Economy: Covid generated a movement of ‘supporting local’ and keeping consumer dollars within their neighborhood and local communities rather than with big businesses. The shift toward local produce supports that drive, with many farms out of New Jersey being family-owned and family-operated businesses that bring more to their communities.
• Transparency: Another trend the industry is facing is the conscious consumer. Nowadays, consumers are becoming more aware of what food they are eating and where it comes from. Local varieties allow consumers to know and witness where the product is coming from, often giving them more transparency.