Jersey tomatoes are in season, and the Burlington County Farmers Market will mark their return with a special Tomato and Pepper Day event this Saturday. The market will take place from 8:30 AM to 1 PM at the Burlington County Agricultural Center in Moorestown, featuring local farmers selling different varieties of tomatoes and peppers, as well as prepared foods highlighting these ingredients.
The event includes a tomato-themed cooking demonstration at 10 AM in the Farmhouse Kitchen, activities for children such as a scavenger hunt and crafts, and free samples of tomato-based dishes like pie, salsa, bisque, and mozzarella pairings from food vendors. Marlton-based Zed’s Beer-Bado Brewing will also offer a special tomato beer for sale.
“Jersey tomatoes are a summertime favorite, and we are excited to celebrate them and the peppers they are often paired with during this weekend’s market,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, who serves as liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation, Parks and Farmland Preservation. “The Burlington County Farmers Market is a fantastic place to purchase tomatoes, peppers and other seasonal produce, along with prepared foods, crafts and more. If you haven’t visited the market this summer, this Saturday is the perfect time to stop by and see why it was voted the best in New Jersey.”
New Jersey ranks among the top ten states for tomato production each year. In 2023 alone, state growers harvested over 60 million pounds of tomatoes worth more than $36 million according to USDA data.
Burlington County has historical ties to tomato cultivation. The popular Rutgers tomato was first developed through collaboration between Rutgers plant breeder Lyman Schermerhorn and Campbell’s Soup Company at its Riverton research facility in Burlington County. Another variety created there was named JTD after John Thompson Dorrance—a local chemist known for inventing condensed soup.
“Burlington County has centuries of history to discover, and the work of John Dorrance and the discoveries made at the Riverton tomato research facility are facts that some of the most knowledgeable history buffs are surprised to learn about,” said Commissioner Randy Brolo. “We’re proud of this history and how agriculture has helped shape our county. One of our top priorities is to protect that legacy and make sure agriculture remains a strong industry for future generations.”
This weekend’s event will host twenty farms selling crops alongside twenty-seven food vendors plus more than twelve artists or crafters. Live music will be performed throughout by Opus Soul.
The Burlington County Farmers Market is now in its nineteenth season. It operates every Saturday from early May through late November regardless of weather conditions; preseason markets occur in March or April with an additional holiday market set for December 6.
The market received recognition as New Jersey’s top farmers market—and third overall in the Northeast—in American Farmland Trust’s 2024 America’s Farmers Market Celebration online poll (https://markets.farmland.org/markets/313985). Voting for this year continues until September 30.
