Meet the Farmers: Part 2

BJ’s Farm to Club program was designed to support the small farms that make it their goal to grow and sell quality local produce for their communities. Learn more about some of the great farmers BJ’s partners with to deliver fresh, local produce to Members from their own backyards.

New Jersey

• Cassaday Farms in Monroeville
  
  • Started in 1870 by George Cassaday’s great-great grandfather, today the 1,500-acre farm runs on four generations of family knowledge. The family takes pride in growing non-GMO fruits and vegetables including corn, summer squash, broccoli, strawberries, and more, using integrated pest management to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. The farm is Certified in Good Agricultural Practices, which guarantees their produce is grown and handled safely.
• Landisville Co-op in Landisville
  
  • The Landisville Co-operative was established to help strengthen and diversify product availability in the southern tier (NY, NJ, and PA). The co-op specializes in the highest quality fruits and vegetables that their local farms have to offer and is owned 100% by more than 40 New Jersey farmers.
• Maugeri Farms in Woolwich Township
  
  • In 1922, Salvatore “Sam” Maugeri came to America along with his wife, Alfia, from Catania, Sicily. Today, Maugeri Farms LLC is run by Sam and Joe Jr. These third generation growers have taken the operation to a new level. The Maugeri brothers cultivate over 600 acres in and around the Oldmans Creek area.

Massachusetts

• Long Plain Farms in Whately
  
  • This third-generation farm was founded in the early 1900s. Its current growers, Scott and Wayne Hutkoski cultivate 200 acres of farmland. They grow a full line of vegetables including peppers, cucumbers, squash, corn, tomatoes, asparagus, eggplant, pumpkins, and onions.

Rhode Island

• Confreda Farms in Cranston
  
  • The Confreda family began farming in 1922. Farming just over 400 acres of land in Cranston and Warwick, this fourth generation farm represents one of the oldest and largest commercial vegetable farms in the state of Rhode Island.

Maine

• Anderson Farms in Dayton
  
  • Robert Anderson was a farmer for many years in Dayton before Ed LeBlanc, Robert’s grandson, and his wife Sarah decided to take on the role of farmers when Robert retired. Through the last several years, Ed and Sarah continue to operate the 150-acre farm and grow and harvest a variety of vegetables, such as sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, and winter squash. They also sell produce from several farm stands across the state.

Pennsylvania

• Hess Farms in Chambersburg/Waynesboro
  
  • Nestled into 175 acres in central Pennsylvania, Hess Farms has been a local family run business since 1985. Three generations of the Hess family have grown their farm to include squash, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, and pumpkins. They are also known for their locally-grown berries and melons.

To see the Farm to Club journey, view this video from BJ’s partner Botticello Farms in Manchester, CT http://3blmedia.com/News/Fresh-Picked-Local-Farms-Delivered-Local-Clubs