CAMP HILL, Pa. — Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding joined GIANT Food Stores to announce that consumers can now more easily find local products at any GIANT store through a groundbreaking new buy local campaign in partnership with PA Preferred®.
“While GIANT has served as a community cornerstone for decades, they’ve done a remarkable job of keeping their finger on the pulse of consumer trends, as evidenced by this new program,” said Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding. “It’s a win-win for consumers and the agriculture industry alike and will help shoppers better connect their food to the farm, helping to strengthen the relationship Pennsylvanians have with local producers.”
Through the initiative, GIANT Food Stores will begin highlighting Pennsylvania-made products using PA Preferred® shelf tags at all 156 stores in the state. More than 900 items including meat, poultry, dairy, snacks, pet food, condiments, sauces, and craft beer and wine, will be identified by tags with the PA Preferred® logo prominently displayed year-round. PA Preferred® is the official brand of food and agricultural products grown, produced or processed in Pennsylvania.
“Since our founding more than 95 years ago, GIANT has been committed to sourcing locally grown and produced products as much as possible,” said Matt Simon, vice president and chief marketing officer, GIANT Food Stores. “We are proud to partner with hundreds of local farmers and vendors to bring their products to our customers. Our new PA Preferred shelf tags highlight our unyielding passion for local and we couldn’t be more excited to showcase these fantastic products in such a unique way.”
Redding noted that this is another example showing how public-private partnerships can help bolster the agriculture industry in Pennsylvania.
“While we are hard at work advocating for passage of the Pa. Farm Bill and its strategic investments, GIANT is using their platform to support agriculture on the retail side,” Redding said. “Their leadership in this space makes a real difference, and I commend them for this forward-thinking new program.”
The Pa. Farm Bill, a package of bills that provides support for and continued investments in the commonwealth’s agriculture industry, was modeled after the governor’s six-point plan to cultivate future generations of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry. The legislation would make Pennsylvania the nation’s leading organic state by further enhancing the growth of the organic industry and would support PA Preferred® and bolster enrollment in the Homegrown by Heroes Program.
For more information about the Pa. Farm Bill and Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry, visit the Department of Agriculture website.
— Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture