Hannaford Supermarkets Adopts Keep Local Farms™ Initiative Throughout Stores, A First in the Country

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The Keep Local Farms program aims to create awareness for the struggling dairy farmer and educates consumers on how they can help to keep the supply of locally produced milk intact now and in the future.

Quincy, Mass. (PRWEB) January 12, 2010

Today, Hannaford Supermarkets joined forces with local dairy farmers to launch the Keep Local Farms™ initiative throughout its 171 New England and New York grocery stores. Hannaford is the first retailer in the country to implement the Keep Local Farms program. The initiative will help raise funds for local Northeast dairy farmers, ensure a local, fresh supply of milk, and provide customers a way to support local dairy farmers and the local food network they help to sustain.

“Hannaford enjoys strong relationships with local farms and local food producers through our Close to Home initiative. Consistent with this commitment, Hannaford is pleased to support Keep Local Farms,” said Wendy Ward, local sourcing specialist for Hannaford. This program will help sustain local farmers, support the local economy and reduce our carbon footprint.”

Launched in September 2009, Keep Local Farms is a part of a broad effort to connect consumers with dairy farmers through education and direct support. The goals of the program are to promote the benefits dairy farms bring the local community and economy, generate a stable income to dairy farmers and secure the farmlands of today for future generations. Keep Local Farms is partnering with retailers, universities and health care providers to support local dairy farmers and the products they produce while increasing the demand for local milk.

“Over the past decade, we have seen multi-generational dairy farms close down because of low milk prices and the rising costs to run a dairy farm,” said Gary Wheelock, Chief Executive Officer of The New England Dairy Promotion Board. “The Keep Local Farms program aims to create awareness for the struggling dairy farmer and educates consumers on how they can help to keep the supply of locally produced milk intact now and in the future.”

The Keep Local Farms program is operated by three partners that are all governed by dairy farmers throughout New England – Vermont Dairy Promotion Council, New England Dairy Promotion Board and New England Family Dairy Farms Cooperative. The program was started to stop the loss of local dairy farms throughout the Northeast. Since 1990, two-thirds of New England dairy farms have closed leaving less than 2000 local farms in the region.

Hannaford Supermarkets will raise awareness throughout their Northeast grocery stores with Keep Local Farms promotional materials and will provide opportunities for customers to contribute to the Keep Local Farms initiative. For more information about the Keep Local Farms program, please visit http://www.keeplocalfarms.org.
About Hannaford Supermarkets

Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 171 stores and employs more than 27,000 associates in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Most Hannaford locations have full-service pharmacies and all stores feature Guiding Stars, the nation's first storewide nutrition navigation system. In 2009, Hannaford became the first supermarket chain in the world to open a store built to the highest standards (Platinum LEED) of the U.S. Green Building Council. For more information visit http://www.hannaford.com.

About Keep Local Farms™
Keep Local Farms is part of a broad effort to stabilize and enhance milk prices paid to dairy farmers in New England. Inspired by “Fair Trade” products such as coffee, bananas, and chocolate, the Vermont Dairy Promotion Council, the New England Family Dairy Farm Cooperative with Cooperative Development Institute, and the New England Dairy Promotion Board have developed a program that enables consumers to help dairy farmers. The Keep Local Farms program connects consumers with dairy farmers through education and direct support. This is an opportunity for consumers who are interested in purchasing local foods to support local dairy farmers, their community and the local economy.

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