ShopRite has announced the launch of its highly anticipated, annual locally grown campaign. This year’s program features expanded partnerships with local farmers, and a dietitian-driven focus on the health and wellness benefits of fresh produce.

“We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s locally grown program is going to be bigger than ever before,” said Derrick Jenkins, ShopRite’s vice president of floral and produce. “We’re excited on so many fronts. Not only are we working with more local growers and offering unique products such as locally grown organic blueberries to our shoppers, but we’re also spreading the word about the health and wellness benefits of produce by partnering with our in-store dietitians to provide recipes, cooking demonstrations and community education.”

Jenkins said that ShopRite has a long history of working with local growers and farmers, and each year the program increases in size as the supermarket partners with a growing number of hyper-local growers, as well as farmers who are utilizing new technologies, such as hydroponic farming.

“ShopRite is a family business that has been supporting local, family farmers for more than 50 years, long before local was trendy,” Jenkins said. “Our locally grown produce is handpicked at the peak of freshness and delivered from farms within our market area. This supports the local economy and also reduces the carbon footprint of deliveries to our stores. It’s just one of the reasons that this program resonates with our shoppers and continues to grow in popularity year after year.”

Conveying the many health benefits of fresh produce is also top of mind for the retailer during this year’s campaign.

“Our team of over 100 in-store retail dietitians are excited to inspire our shoppers about the many benefits of enjoying and cooking with fresh produce,” said Natalie Menza-Crowe, director of health and wellness at ShopRite. “Whether it’s through in-store demonstrations, community-based workshops, or social media videos, our local health and wellness experts are on a mission to educate our shoppers and teach them delicious and easy ways to incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables into their menus.”

ShopRite, which operates over 275 stores in six states across the Northeast, sources locally grown products from all across its trading area. As part of the program, individual stores create in-store displays and marketing materials that highlight locally grown products, including blackboards with the names and addresses of nearby farms where the food was sourced. Some stores host weekend “farm stands” in front of their stores.

According to Jenkins, the first crops of the season are typically blueberries, salad greens, zucchini/squash, peppers and cucumbers. Corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and dozens of other locally grown items become available later in the summer.

“Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant counts of all fruits and vegetables,” said Menza-Crowe. “They are definitely considered a superfood. Plus, they are extremely versatile. They can be used in pancakes, muffins, smoothies, and salads, or used as a relish or salsa to accompany a lean protein such as chicken or fish. Best of all, they are low in calories, so you can feel free to enjoy them by the handful.”

ShopRite’s locally grown campaign will be promoted in its circulars and on broadcast television commercials, highway billboards, and social media.