(TRENTON) – The New Jersey State Department of Agriculture will highlight National Blueberry Day on Monday, July 8, with special visits to the coastal cities of Wildwood, Atlantic City and Seaside Heights, where department marketing staff will be on hand to distribute free Jersey Fresh blueberries to beachgoers.

“We are excited that visitors to the Jersey Shore will have the opportunity to sample Jersey Fresh blueberries from our farmers here in the Garden State on National Blueberry Day,” said NJDA Secretary Ed Wengryn. “This event has been very popular since its launch in 2021, and we expect there will be a great demand for the delicious Jersey Fresh blueberries.”

Blueberries will be available starting at 11:30 a.m., while supplies last, at the end of East Schellenger Avenue on the boardwalk near Morey's Piers in Wildwood, at the end of New York Avenue on the boardwalk near Rita's Water Ice in Atlantic City, and along the boardwalk in Seaside Heights.

According to the USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service, blueberries were New Jersey's top crop in 2023, with a production value of $92.1 million. New Jersey ranks among the top seven states in the U.S. annually in blueberry production. Farmers in the Garden State harvested 50 million pounds of blueberries from 10,800 acres last year.

The National Blueberry Day event is held in cooperation with the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council.

Blueberry season in New Jersey lasts until the end of July. During peak season, up to 250,000-300,000 boxes can be produced per day. Eating blueberries is healthy because they are low in calories and high in nutrients. Visit www.FindJerseyFresh.com to see where to buy Jersey Fresh blueberries near you and to find recipes that include delicious Jersey Fresh blueberries.

The cultivated blueberry was first cultivated in 1916 by Elizabeth Coleman White in Burlington County, New Jersey.

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For more information about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or follow us on Twitter at @NJDA and @JerseyFreshNJDA.