The Department of Corrections will buy an estimated one million additional pounds of New Jersey-grown fruits and vegetables annually through a joint effort between the Departments of Corrections and Agriculture to reduce state costs and provide a new market for New Jersey farmers.

Department of Corrections Commissioner Devon Brown and Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus will announce the collaborative effort at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, Cumberland County. The prison's production kitchen - located in the heart of New Jersey's fruit and vegetable production area - provides meals for more than 3,300 inmates at the prison and also supplies more than 23,000 offenders in other state facilities as well as inmates in New Jersey-based federal institutions.

"This initiative will save state dollars since all purchases of these fruits and vegetables will be made at below market cost," said Corrections Commissioner Brown. "It also will enable us to offer more nutritious fruits and vegetables throughout our correctional system, and to other agencies which utilize our processed products, by providing a fresh alternative to the use of frozen, canned or dehydrated vegetables."

Secretary Kuperus added: "Government needs practical solutions to increase its efficiency, and this is one way to do that. By changing the way we do business and cutting government red tape, we can expand the market for New Jersey produce and help our farmers be more profitable."

Kuperus estimated that New Jersey farmers will realize an additional $250,000 in sales this season.

Governor James McGreevey applauded the initiative. "I have trusted my entire Cabinet to work smarter and more efficiently to ensure our state government manages resources and lives within its means," McGreevey said. "This innovative partnership meets that mandate."

The Departments of Corrections and Agriculture worked with state Treasury officials to develop a waiver under the state produce contract. This waiver allows Corrections to take advantage of seasonal market conditions by making targeted purchases of New Jersey-grown fruits and vegetables when prices are low - for example, as a result of over-production of a particular crop. The previous contract did not provide the flexibility to do so.

Furthermore, through the Department of Corrections' AgriIndustries Revolving Fund, produce will be offered at substantial savings to other state departments and agencies, including the Department of Human Services, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the Juvenile Justice Commission.