Do You Plan on Buying Produce from a Roadside Stand or U-Pick Sussex County Farm?

Although, we do not have a fresh farmer’s market to speak of in Hopatcong, we forget that we are in Sussex County, one of the few standing farming counties in New Jersey. Instead of heading east, Morris County-bound, try driving the opposite direction to your Sussex County neighbors. 

Driving through county roads and finding roadside stands is part of my summertime experience. Recently, I was heading toward Newton on Route 206 North and stopped at a large market stand. I ask if they had any local lettuce. She said “of course we do, but you’ll have to walk out to the field and pick your own." There they were—gorgeous leafy heads of green and red leaf lettuce mixed in with some rows of Romaine. It was such a hard decision to make in deciding which ones to pick. I was told to make sure I pulled the mound up by the roots. It was an easier task than I thought.

I was proud to go home and show off the lettuce I picked. It made me fill like a pioneer. Of course, it would have been wonderful if I had grown the lettuce myself. I know better than to grow my own lettuce with all my backyard critters. I just stick to growing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers that can be grown in pots behind heavily guarded garden fencing with garden floodlights in case there are any nighttime invasions.  I never did ask the farmer how they kept the deer from devouring their crops.  But, I think that some questions are best left unanswered. However, it was a comforting fact that venison was not being sold at this stand.   

If you want to have a deeper experience than just bagging your own vegetables at a roadside stand, then Sussex County is a great place for "Agritourism".  According to Skylands.com, many farms welcome visitors into the fields and stables.  In Sussex County, there is an active agritourism program to develop visitation at over 100 farms that produce a diverse range of farm products.  Check out the Skylands list of Sussex County agritourism farms were you can do the browsing, shopping and witness the original source animal that fills your egg and milk cartons  http://www.njskylands.com/fmsuss1.htm

Wishing you a big basket of "Sussex County Home Grown" this summer.