Farming for a market, not just a household
In the colonial period, most families on the New Jersey side of the Delaware farmed, and many produced mainly for their own needs. Close to a large port, though, farming took on a second purpose. Philadelphia had thousands of residents who did not grow their own food, and the farms across the river were well placed to sell to them.
A market garden is a small, intensively worked plot that grows vegetables, fruit or flowers specifically for sale to nearby buyers. The term is usually applied to farms near cities, where fresh, perishable goods can reach customers quickly. Early South Jersey had both general farms that sold a surplus and farms that leaned toward market production, and the line between them was not sharp.
Why this shore was suited to it
Several factors combined. The first was distance. Fresh produce spoils quickly, and a farm within reach of the ferry could send goods to Philadelphia the same day. The second was soil. The coastal plain of southern New Jersey generally has lighter, sandier soils than much of the inland Northeast. Such soils tend to warm early in spring and are easier to work, which can suit vegetables and fruit, although they often need added organic matter and fertilizer. This is a very different landscape from the Pine Barrens further east, where soils are poorer and the economy developed differently.
The third factor was water. Creeks and tidal streams provided transport and drainage, and the low meadows along the river were sometimes used for pasture and hay. The same low ground could flood, and the question of the tidal floodplain remains relevant to land use in the region.
What was grown and sold
Sources describe a wide range of produce: grain, vegetables, orchard fruit, berries, dairy products, poultry, eggs and firewood. Exact lists depend on the period and the farm, and details of individual crops and prices should come from documented sources such as account books, probate inventories and newspaper advertisements. It is safer to say that early farms around Philadelphia produced the staples of the time than to claim specific yields.
By the nineteenth century, vegetable and fruit growing in southern New Jersey was increasingly oriented toward city demand. The state’s later “Garden State” nickname is often linked in popular accounts to its farm output, though the origin of the phrase is itself discussed in different ways.
From farm to city
Getting goods to market was a chore in itself. Farmers loaded wagons or boats, often in the early morning, and traveled by road or creek to the river. At the ferry landing, produce was transferred to boats and carried across to the Philadelphia waterfront, where it was sold in public markets or to dealers. The crossing relied on the ferries that connected the shore to the city, and the timing of tides and weather affected what could be sold fresh.
Farmers also took things back. City manure and other waste were commonly used as fertilizer on market farms near cities in this period, and returning wagons or boats carried such materials. Goods that could not be grown at home came back from the city’s stores.
Landholding and labor
Farms were laid out within the system of surveyed tracts described in the account of the Cooper family and other early landowners. Some operators owned their land; others rented or worked as tenants. Labor came from family members, hired workers, indentured servants and enslaved people, since slavery existed in colonial New Jersey and persisted for decades after independence. Because this is a sensitive and well-documented subject, readers should consult reliable sources on slavery in New Jersey rather than rely on general statements.
Change over time
As Philadelphia and its suburbs grew, the economics shifted. Railroads in the nineteenth century could carry produce over longer distances, which meant that growers farther away could compete. Canning and preserving, which allowed seasonal produce to be sold year-round, became a significant industry in the region, and the story of food manufacturing in a river city picks up where the early market trade leaves off. Meanwhile, the farmland closest to the river was gradually built over, as industrial Camden and its neighborhoods expanded.
South Jersey remains an agricultural region today, with farms, orchards and roadside markets in many areas. Readers interested in what is currently available should check local sources, since seasons, hours and offerings change.
Finding the details
For a particular farm or family, the usual sources are deed records, wills and inventories, tax lists and census records. The federal agricultural censuses from the mid-nineteenth century onward record farm sizes and crops, and are an excellent source when they can be found. Local historical societies also hold maps, diaries and photographs that bring the working landscape into view.