FOOD LION'S SHARE IN VIRGINIA'S FINEST PROGRAM EARNS AWARD

RICHARD TURCSIK

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Food Lion here participated in the annual Virginia Department of Agriculture's Virginia's Finest campaign, netting a 1997 Commissioner's Award in the process.

The annual promotion is coordinated by Virginia's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Richmond, Va., and is designed to promote awareness of products that are grown, produced or manufactured in the state.

Food Lion won the award because of its outstanding support of the Virginia's Finest program throughout the year and during the Virginia's Finest promotion in September. Food Lion not only extensively promotes the state's produce as part of a "Delmarva Shore to Store" program, but also actively promotes Center Store items manufactured in the state.

Grocery items stocked by Food Lion that are manufactured in Virginia include the National Fruit (White House brand) line of applesauces, apple juices and related products; Fearnow Bros.' Brunswick Stew and the Bunker Hill line of stews, corned beef hash and other canned meats.

Tawn Earnest, a spokeswoman at Food Lion's corporate headquarters here, said the grocery products are marked with Virginia's Finest shelf tags and other in-store signage.

"There seems to be an interest on behalf of our consumers to want to buy locally produced products," she said.

Earnest declined to release sales figures on the Virginia's Finest products but did say that the stores "see a lot of interest" on the highlighted items.

Another company that won the 1997 Commissioner's Award was Wade's Supermarket, Christiansburg, Va.