As summer approaches and the seasonal produce deal starts to pop in the Northeast, the retail group that operates Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper and Market 32 kicks its locally grown promotions into high gear to celebrate the bounty that is available from the Empire State while also helping ag producers in New York.

“Working with local growers is in our DNA,” Jeff Cady, vice president of produce and floral at Schenectady, NY-based Northeast Shared Services, which operates the three banners, told The Produce News. “Between our produce and dairy growers, we work with over 500 local suppliers each year. Selling homegrown local products is just the right thing to do and checks all the right boxes, as it preserves freshness, reduces food miles and helps our own communities.”

Cady said he typically holds an annual meeting with his produce managers ahead of the start of the local produce season to strategize and build excitement among the team.

“We have T-shirts made up for everyone and we send them a ton of POS materials to create exciting displays,” he said. “At the meeting, we provide our vision for the local program that year so they walk away with a plan of action.”

Cady said that while summer represents the height of locally grown promotions, the retailer actually promotes local products throughout the year.

“We are blessed with an abundant apple crop in the state, and we also carry some CEA products that are grown year-round such as butter lettuces,” he said. “Right now [in early June] the summer season is just starting to kick in and we have leaf lettuces and strawberries going, with other veggies coming online very soon.”

Cady added that by mid-July the local deal, and the related promotions, will be in full swing.

“As a rule, we wait until mid-July and line it up with the homegrown sweet corn deal as the unit driver, and then we really get after it since we have a lot of products to work with,” he said. “During the season, our produce departments really shout ‘homegrown,’ as we are so fortunate to live in a state with so many agricultural products.”

To be a supplier for Northeast Shared Services, Cady said growers obviously need to be GAP certified, as food safety is the most important factor in operating in a food business.

“Many of the new growers we work with reach out to us after visiting our stores and seeing our commitment to local,” said Cady. “Our store teams also bring new growers to us that they might encounter during their daily lives, like on their way to work. I get a few calls each year from growers who say that one of our managers gave them my number. Once they are vetted, our produce managers, who are well versed on our specs, work with them on deliveries direct to the store.”

Cady said the company is always looking to increase its locally grown deal, though no specific growth targets are in place. Very simply, he said the goal is to give the retailer’s loyal customer base what it wants.

“While sales are important, I think it is more important to give our customers what they want and that we are doing things for the right reasons,” said Cady. “Customers trust us to do the right thing, and that is the crux of our decision-making process. Local is the right play — it’s actually one of the easiest decisions I make every year!”