Tops to feature products under New York State Grown & Certified Seal

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said in a press release last week that Williamsville, N.Y-based Tops Friendly Markets will promote the New York State Grown & Certified program to highlight farms that qualify under the New York State Grown & Certified seal. Tops is the first grocery retailer to feature and market product grown by New York farmers who adhere to the program’s requirements, including verification of safe-food handling practices and participation in environmental sustainability programs, according to a press release issued by the governor’s office,

Product sold under the state’s New York State Grown & Certified seal will be available at more than 80 Tops stores in the western New York and Finger Lakes regions. As the state continues to roll out the retail component of the program, product will be available at additional retailers.

“New York is supporting locally grown products and promoting healthy lifestyles by connecting farm-fresh food with consumers across the state,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “Under the New York State Grown & Certified program, Tops Friendly Markets will bring certified foods to local communities, support our hard-working farms, and provide nutritional food options to New Yorkers statewide.”

John Persons, president and chief operating officer of Tops Friendly Markets, said that partnering with local growers is something that Tops takes great pride in.

“This initiative allows us to continue to offer our customers the very best produce that our state has to offer, and we’re proud to stand behind this program and the farmers that harvest these bountiful crops,” Persons said in a statement.

A New York State Grown & Certified pilot display was unveiled at a Tops store in New York’s Erie County last week that features produce, including herbs, cabbage, and acorn and butternut squash from farms in the western New York and the Finger Lakes regions.

“Every year our customers seem more interested in learning about where and how their food is grown,” said New York farmer Karin Reeves in the press release. “We are still a seasonal, family-run farm, but we have been able to implement programs and projects over time that have improved our farm’s food safety practices and decreased our impact on the environment. The New York State Grown & Certified program gives us another opportunity to convey this message to our customers.”