SALISBURY, N.C. — Delhaize banner Harveys Supermarkets is partnering with the Georgia Grown program to educate local food producers on what it takes to make it to the supermarket shelf.
Among other events, Harveys will be leading the workshop “Limited Shelf Space: What Retailers Want When They Consider Your Product in Their Store” at the first Georgia Grown Symposium in Macon, Ga., on Nov. 8.
While Harveys doesn’t intend to stock every Georgia product, they intend to lend “a voice of knowledge and experience to help educate [local producers] on their path” said Lisa Overman, director of marketing and advertising, Harveys and Reid’s Groceries.
Harveys wants producers to know what to expect when they have their first appointment with a merchandiser or a buyer, according to Overman.
The new symposium “Growing Your Business Through Georgia Grown” will also offer panels on topics related to marketing, finance, trade and agritourism.
Georgia Grown, the program behind this symposium, started last year to actively engage groups involved in Georgia agriculture — such as farmers, food suppliers, lumber suppliers and shippers — to create a network to promote Georgia products.
“Georgia Grown is a marketing and economic development program of the [Georgia] Department of Agriculture … It’s been around as an idea for a really long time, but nobody ever put meat on that bone,” Margaret Lisi, Georgia Grown Program Director, told SN.
Since launching last year, the program now offers local businesses marketing assistance through use of a Georgia Grown logo, point-of-sale material, and a searchable database of Georgia producers on GeorgiaGrown.com, as well as other marketing services.
For Harveys, the partnership with Georgia Grown is a natural extension of the retailer’s work championing local suppliers in all food categories.
“Harvey’s has always been about promoting Georgia grown as in our farmers and Georgia grown items that are either grown here or made in the state of Georgia,” said Overman.
Harveys’ uses in-store signs to emphasize how buying local products impacts the community.
“What we would do is we would highlight local farmers in our area, and we would have pictures of them and the products and also give some insight to our consumers on when you buy local you’re helping your local economy, but you’re also helping the job situation locally,” said Overman.
Harveys has plans to also work with Georgia Grown on the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s “Feed My Schools” initiative to educate students about how to shop for ingredients for healthy meals.
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