BOISE, Idaho – Today, Wal-Mart kicks off Idaho Preferred Month and the Idaho Agricultural harvest season with a Farmer’s Market at its Meridian Supercenter at 4051 E. Fairview Avenue. While customers can find Idaho-grown products at Wal-Mart stores year round, this month marks the celebration of the height of harvest season for the company’s vendor partners. The indoor and outdoor “farmer’s markets” at Wal-Mart stores will feature locally-grown and harvested fruits and vegetables as well as opportunities to meet some of the local producers in the region.
“Over the past two years, Wal-Mart’s national partnerships with local famers have grown by 50 percent, and the company is committed to expanding this even further,” said John Jacobsen, Regional Merchandising Manager for Wal-Mart. “Fall is a great time to showcase the great variety of Idaho fruits and vegetables that we carry. We invite everyone to come to our Treasure Valley stores to sample locally-grown produce, meet the growers and buy some of the best fruits and vegetables Idaho has to offer.”
To ensure that Wal-Mart customers have access to fresh, quality produce, the company is committed to purchasing more agricultural products from local growers. Offering locally grown produce means Wal-Mart can not only provide higher quality, lowered price fruits and vegetables, but also support farmers in the local economy and reduce the environmental impact of transporting food. Wal-Mart estimates that it purchases more than 70 percent of its produce from U.S.-based suppliers, making the company the biggest customer of American agriculture.
“At Wal-Mart, we do our best to ensure that the products on our shelves reflect the diverse needs of our customers,” said Karianne Fallow, Sr. Manager of Public Affairs for Wal-Mart. “Our Idaho-grown products are a popular destination for many of our shoppers and we believe that, by increasing the amount of Idaho produce, we are providing our customers with a choice as well as supporting the local agricultural community.”
This special promotion is part of an ongoing partnership between Wal-Mart and Idaho Preferred® — a program that identifies and promotes Idaho-grown food and agricultural products managed by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. This season’s features include corn, cantalopes, pears, apples, onions, peaches, nectarines, organic grapes, potatoes, hard squash, pumpkins, pluots, plums and tomatoes. Customers can find other Idaho-grown products at Wal-Mart year round, like wine, breads, potatoes and onions.
“We are so pleased with Wal-Mart’s continuing efforts to seek out and promote Idaho’s high quality local products for their stores—not just in fresh product but also breads, wines, specialty foods and even plants and flowers in the nursery department,” said Celia Gould, Director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. “Wal-Mart recognizes and appreciates the high quality of our local products and we appreciate the partnership we have with them to identify and promote local foods to consumers throughout southern Idaho through our Idaho Preferred® program.”
Idaho’s top quality products are known around the world because of the Idaho Preferred® program — one of the strongest state agricultural branding programs in the country – and Wal-Mart is proud to be associated with this initiative and the Idaho Department of Agriculture. Beyond the great variety of produce offered at the Idaho Preferred® Farmers Markets, other Idaho products can be found throughout Wal-Mart stores. Local milk, bread, wine, and meat are just a few of the Idaho food products that can be found in local Wal-Mart stores throughout the year.
About Idaho Preferred
For more information about Idaho Preferred® and the fresh, quality products offered by Idaho Preferred® members, please visit www.idahopreferred.com, or contact Leah Clark at the Idaho State Department of Agriculture: 208-332-8684.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom and, through a joint venture, in India. The Company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.
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