Written By: Mitchell Corson

Celebrating Their 20th Year Anniversary

Levari Farm Market and Greenhouses is a unique family run business for four generations. Farming, growing flowers, and selling the very best fruit and vegetables has been their business for a long time.

If you love Jersey plum tomatoes for your salads or your homemade tomato sauce, Levari’s has something special for you. When Jim Levari’s grandfather Nino came to this country from Italy, he brought with him a small supply of his family’s heirloom plum tomato that they call devil dogs. There is no telling how many generations passed this down in Italy, before grandfather Nino brought it to America. They have very few of the actual tomatoes to sell, because their extended fam­ily uses most for themselves. However, you can purchase your own plants and start your own great tasting tradition.

Jim Levari grew up farming and loving it. However he was often frustrated with the ups and downs of the market. Often you could grow the very best of a certain vegetable and get $2.00 per bushel instead of $10.00 per bushel. It all depended on sup­ply and demand.

This motivated him to begin selling his vegetable plants and other bedding plants because it was a consistent way to get a fair price for a quality product. Before long, he was creating his amazing hanging baskets with beautiful flowers.

For many years, I bought several plants of the beautiful Red Penta he grows, because my hummingbirds loved it. One day Jim gave me a healthy plant with beautiful little blue flowers and said “Try this, it’s the favorite of hummingbirds.” I took the plant, but I really didn’t believe him because everyone knows that hummingbirds like only red, right?

Well, much to my surprise, the hummingbirds loved it more than any red flower I had. There are many plants and flowers with the name “Blue Salvia” but Jim’s vari­ety is by far the best. Nothing even comes close. I have not found this variety at any other place in South Jersey, and have only seen it once in one of the dozens of catalogues I receive. If you get just two of the plants for outside of your win­dow, you can empty out your hummingbird feeder and save yourself some work.

Another unique feature of Levari’s is that they sell the very best tasting Jersey Strawberries. There is a reason why, but it is a well-kept secret. Jim buys all his strawberries from his in-laws, the Walker Brothers Farm in Porchtown. His brother-in-law Jim Walker has developed a special growing method that brings out the very best taste.

Later in the year, Jim sells the very best peaches, nectarines, and large black cherries to be found. Jim has learned well from his late father Henry Levari and has passed that on to his own two sons Louie and Andy. The two sons continue farm­ing with quality still the first priority. And now the fifth generation is get­ting ready to carry on the tradi­tion stated by Grandfather Nino.

Levari’s…it just doesn’t get any better!