November 2023 - 46

NASGA SUMMER TOUR
Garden State demand
New Jersey is a mecca for strawberry production
BY GARY PULLANO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
S
trawberries set the pace as one of the first
crops of the New Jersey growing season. Farm
operators from a wide swath of the state shared
their growing and marketing experiences during the
North American Strawberry Growers Association
2023 Summer Tour.
The mid-August farm visits were about two months
after the New Jersey spring season ended.
Specca Farms
Specca Farms in Springfield Township in Burlington
County is run by Dave and Lisa Specca and their son
Stephen.
Harvest of the spring crop begins in late April or
early May and can continue through mid-June.
Specca Farms grows three acres of Rutgers Scarlet,
Chandler, Flavor Fest and Sweet Charlie strawberry
varieties for primarily u-pick consumers.
The Specca family has been farming since the
early 1900s and grows more than 100 varieties of
vegetables throughout the season. The primary farm
has 125 acres, which Dave and Lisa Specca purchased
in 2011.
" I grew up on the farm my son now owns, which is
across the street, " Dave Specca said. " Strawberries
have been a big part of our mix. "
They primarily use a plasticulture system with
floating row cover. Varieties like Sweet Charlie come
in late April.
Specca said 2023 was a " phenomenal " year for
production, with picking lasting about seven weeks.
Rutgers D'Light is a variety customers have
embraced. Due to lack of supply, the Speccas have
rooted some of their own tips.
" If you get good, healthy tips and you have them
under mist in the greenhouse, that's usually about a
10-day period, " he said. " We wean them off the mist
and you grow them as you would any transplant. This
is the crop that will be going out in a couple weeks. "
The growers develop roots under a greenhouse mist
in a 50-cell tray with a regular potting mix. Once the
plants have started to root, they fertilize them with a
100-parts-per-million nitrogen blend.
" It's 20-10-20 fertilizer base that the mist is on right
now. The mist is on for five seconds every 15 minutes
just to mist them lightly. We start to push them, " Dave
Specca said. " When the mist starts to wind down, we
put fertilizer mix in the plug to get the plants going
and the plugs started. "
Specca said it's important to ensure transplants
are healthy.
" It makes all the difference in the crop as it's
maturing, " he said. " In the fall you really want to
46 | NOVEMBER 2023

http://www.miedemaauctioneering.com

November 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2023

Editor's Letter
AgTech: Robotics + smart machinery
AgTech: Robotic maneuvers
Cover story: MSHS welcomes new leader
40 Under 40 Class of 2023
Great Lakes EXPO News: Managing IPM programs and nutrient uptake
Great Lakes EXPO: Schedule at a glance
Tree Fruit Variety Showcase
Organic Grower Fall 2023
NASGA Summer Tour: Garden State demand
2024 Buyers' Guide
Blueberries: Unique blueberries
Strawberries: Strawberry options
Farm Market & Agritourism: Revolutionize customer relationships
Ag Labor Review: DOL's end run
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
November 2023 - 1
November 2023 - 2
November 2023 - 3
November 2023 - Editor's Letter
November 2023 - 5
November 2023 - AgTech: Robotics + smart machinery
November 2023 - 7
November 2023 - 8
November 2023 - 9
November 2023 - AgTech: Robotic maneuvers
November 2023 - 11
November 2023 - 12
November 2023 - 13
November 2023 - Cover story: MSHS welcomes new leader
November 2023 - 15
November 2023 - 16
November 2023 - 17
November 2023 - 18
November 2023 - 40 Under 40 Class of 2023
November 2023 - 2A
November 2023 - 3A
November 2023 - 4A
November 2023 - 5A
November 2023 - 6A
November 2023 - 7A
November 2023 - 8A
November 2023 - 9A
November 2023 - 10A
November 2023 - 11A
November 2023 - 12A
November 2023 - Great Lakes EXPO News: Managing IPM programs and nutrient uptake
November 2023 - Great Lakes EXPO: Schedule at a glance
November 2023 - 15A
November 2023 - 16A
November 2023 - Tree Fruit Variety Showcase
November 2023 - 20
November 2023 - 21
November 2023 - 22
November 2023 - 23
November 2023 - 24
November 2023 - 25
November 2023 - 26
November 2023 - 27
November 2023 - 28
November 2023 - 29
November 2023 - 30
November 2023 - Organic Grower Fall 2023
November 2023 - 32
November 2023 - 33
November 2023 - 34
November 2023 - 35
November 2023 - 36
November 2023 - 37
November 2023 - 38
November 2023 - 39
November 2023 - 40
November 2023 - 41
November 2023 - 42
November 2023 - 43
November 2023 - 44
November 2023 - 45
November 2023 - NASGA Summer Tour: Garden State demand
November 2023 - 47
November 2023 - 48
November 2023 - 49
November 2023 - 50
November 2023 - 2024 Buyers' Guide
November 2023 - 52
November 2023 - 53
November 2023 - 54
November 2023 - 55
November 2023 - 56
November 2023 - 57
November 2023 - 58
November 2023 - 59
November 2023 - 60
November 2023 - 61
November 2023 - 62
November 2023 - 63
November 2023 - 64
November 2023 - 65
November 2023 - 66
November 2023 - 67
November 2023 - 68
November 2023 - 69
November 2023 - 70
November 2023 - Blueberries: Unique blueberries
November 2023 - 72
November 2023 - 73
November 2023 - Strawberries: Strawberry options
November 2023 - 75
November 2023 - Farm Market & Agritourism: Revolutionize customer relationships
November 2023 - 77
November 2023 - Ag Labor Review: DOL's end run
November 2023 - 79
November 2023 - Classifieds
November 2023 - 81
November 2023 - Advertiser Index
November 2023 - 83
November 2023 - 84
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