The Merchantville Farmers Market makes a 2012 comeback on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. along the "Merchantville Mile" on Chestnut Avenue. Due to the Birthday Celebration today's soft opening will feature produce and flowers from Darmo family Farms who "farms with pride from seed to harvest"; homemade potato salads from Alden Cafe; and, 100% natural mini cupcakes, cakes, tarts, cookies and other treats by Desiree;s Desserts.

Read more: Farmers Market plans soft opening

Please join us at Borough Hall Saturday, April 14th at 9 a.m. to continue planning for the 2012 Farmers Market. We are looking for volunteers to help with set-up, break-down, logistics, marketing, etc. Please invite friends and neighbors that are interested. For additional information call or email Steve Volkert at 609-929 4735 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the Garden State is the fourth-largest peach producing state, with a crop valued at more than $31 million. Bloom time is usually around April 20, with the harvest in July. If the pink flowers on the peach trees bloom ahead of schedule, they could be wiped out by a late season cold snap. "This could be a problem for our peach crop this year," said Russo, who would prefer the temperature to be in the more seasonable 40s instead of the 50s. http://bit.ly/y2PyaC

 

Peach trees already are blooming in shades of pink all over South Jersey a harbinger of an earlier spring brought on by warmer than normal winter and spring temperatures that reached as high as 80 degrees last month. “It looks like peaches will be early because we are nearly three weeks ahead of the normal blossom time, but no one ever knows,” he said. “We are still so far away from the rest of the season and you never know what the weather will bring.” http://on.cpsj.com/HiDyWW