US (NJ): Greenhouses extend season and increase income
This is a crucial time of year for indoor growing for C&M and other nurseries in New Jersey. Flowers and some field crops, such as cabbage, beets and lettuce, are in their early stages, snug under acres of plastic roof sheeting. Temperature and sunlight have to be monitored, as is how much the plants must be watered to avoid mold and disease.
Economy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture put the sale value of four leading nursery indicators — bedding and garden plants, cut flowers and florist greens, indoor foliage and plants, and potted flowering plants — at slightly more than $242.3 million. That represents about an $11.2 million decrease from the 2007 federal agriculture census. The national economy began to sag in 2008.
An upswing in the economy is important to Overdevest Nurseries. The company produces more than 1,400 varieties of shrubs, trees, vines and perennials on about 210 acres. It sells to independent garden centers and distributors within a 300-mile radius of Bridgeton.
Overdevest says the company is “hopeful for the future.”
“That’s starting to come back, somewhat, at the moment,” Overdevest said. “We have a lot of younger folks who are buying homes in the future and, in many ways, replaying the baby boomer generation with their impact on the economy.”
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