Photo credit: Michael Riley, taken at one of our partners, Heritage Farm in Bouckville, NY, July 2010
We are proud to support our local growing community and bring you the best in fresh locally grown produce!
How do you define what “local food” is? According to a May 2010 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it depends on who you ask. Some say local food is “food that has traveled less than 100 miles from farm to store,” while others define local food as having traveled “less than a day.” There are some who even pin the definition down even further, saying it has to have traveled less than 7 hours.
“Our primary objective is to get you the best, fresh, wholesome food no matter where it’s grown,” said Keith Frosceno, Price Chopper Supermarkets Vice President of Produce Merchandising.
This week at Price Chopper, we’re showcasing the faces of our farmers we partner with and the farms they operate – that’s our commitment to you to give safe, secure food you can count on. We want you to know your farmer.
“If the consumer knows who grew their product, they feel better. It’s not some kind of anonymous institution or big agribusiness company,” Frosceno said.
Price Chopper uses its economies of scale and resources to buy local product and help small farmers upgrade their food safety practices to bring you quality produce. Since many fruit and vegetable items are available from all over the country during the summer and fall months, we choose to buy these items such as cucumbers, peppers, peaches, leaf vegetables, apples, squash and corn locally whenever possible. The list of locally grown items we supply is extensive and growing, because you – the consumer – is demanding more fresh food.
“This is our choice. Over the last 5 years I think most retailers have stocked and promoted local produce more and more. This is specifically aimed to improve the perception of grocery store produce,” said Tom Daly, another member of our Produce Merchandising team. A 2009 national study by the Food Marketing Institute concluded that consumers are buying local not only to get fresh food, but to support their local economy and know the origin of their meal:
The majority of respondents to a national study cited freshness (82 percent), support for the local economy (75 percent), and knowing the source of the product (58 percent) as reasons for buying local food at direct markets or in conventional grocery stores.
Whatever your reason for buying local, you can take advantage of this week’s deals on produce from the biggest and best priced farmer’s market in your neighborhood. Become a fan of Price Chopper on Facebook to receive valuable coupon offers each week. Right now, we have a $5 off $15 fresh produce coupon available for our fans. What locally grown products will you buy with your coupon?