Nestled within thousands of Acres of State Forest, is a tradition nearly 200 years old. Samuel Moore III is the sixth generation to run Moore’s Cranberry and Blueberry Farm, founded in 1829.
“There’s not a better place in New Jersey, in my opinion,” Moore said. “To be a farmer in the Pine Barrens you’ve got to be a steward of the land.”
As the land signals a change in season, so do the crops. Fall is the busiest time of year for Moore and his family.
“This is the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Christmas of the year that everyone looks forward to,” Moore said. “A lot of folks think that farming, you just plant ‘em and pick ‘em and go on vacation the rest of the year.”
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Farming is a year-round occupation; one Moore, his dad, and two sons, take seriously.
“There’s a lot of worrying to get it to this point,” Moore said. “And people say you can’t worry, but when it’s your livelihood to surviving, to getting to the next year, you will worry.”
After months of planting, protecting and growing the berries, Moore gave NBC10 a look at this year’s crop.
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He said it appeared this year’s harvest would be above average. His team collects the berries and runs them through a pump system to wash off leaves and debris. Then, they go to Ocean Spray, where workers there clean, process and package the berries in various forms.
“A lot of these berries you see here, it’s the juice, sauce, craisins,” Moore said.
Moore told us he’s glad to put something on other families’ tables that represents both his family’s livelihood and a lasting legacy.
“My father has been the best mentor I have ever had in my life,” Moore said. “He’s everything to me.”
He looks forward to continuing the tradition through his sons.
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