New Jersey is No. 1 eggplant producer in the United States

When most people think about New Jersey produce, they usually think about tomatoes, corn or blueberries.
But the Garden State was just named the No. 1 producer of eggplants in the United States, according to the Federal Census of Agriculture. New Jersey grows 849 acres of eggplants, compared to No. 2 California’s 144 acres.
To celebrate the fact the New Jersey is the best state at growing eggplants, News 12 New Jersey visited Twin Pond Farms in Howell.
“We’ve been farming, practically from my father since 1921. That’s when he came over from Italy,” says Angelo DiGregorio, who still works at the farm, alongside his three sons.
Twin Pond Farms sells several different types of eggplants: Sicilian, Japanese, Zebra, White.
“A really cool one is the Festival. This is a nice striped eggplant,” says Gary DiGregorio.
Angelo DiGregorio says that the reason New Jersey grows such good eggplants is the soil.
“We have very good soil,” he says.
The center of New Jersey's eggplant production is in Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Cumberland counties, with smaller production sites in Burlington and Monmouth counties.