Locally-sourced Produce Will Show Up This Summer At Inserra's 5 ShopRite Stores in Rockland

NEW CITY, NY — Locally-sourced produce will show up at all 5 ShopRite stores in Rockland County owned and run by Inserra Supermarkets this summer. The company owns 22 ShopRites in New Jersey and New York, including stores in New City, Tallman and West Nyack. The company is also expanding its same-day farm-to-store effort.

From Swiss chard and collard greens to peppers, tomatoes and corn, local produce – both conventionally and organically farmed — is becoming a mainstay on kitchen tables, company officials said. To meet that demand and expand its partnerships with the local farming community, Inserra Supermarkets is bringing locally-sourced produce to all of its 22 ShopRite stores this spring and summer.

“Consumers can taste the robust flavors and freshness of produce that was picked that same day or the day before,” said Eric Beelitz, director of produce of Inserra Supermarkets. “That taste is important, and of course, really makes a difference.”

Inserra Supermarkets has a long-standing partnership with Abma’s Farm in Wyckoff, Bergen County’s only produce and poultry farm, which has been in the Abma family for generations. For years, Inserra Supermarkets has sold Abma’s produce in some of its ShopRite locations. This summer, the family-owned chain will increase those offerings, particularly Abma’s sweet corn.

“Abma’s Farm will pick the corn at 4 a.m. and deliver it to our stores the same morning,” said Beelitz. “We did this last year with Abma’s, and our customers couldn’t get enough of it.”

Inserra Supermarkets is furthering its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Having local growers deliver products to stores – rather than having items trucked across the country – is a key component of this effort, he said.

In regard to organic produce and herbs, Inserra Supermarkets primarily sources those items from Zone 7, a distributor that works with 120+, regional sustainable farms – primarily those in New Jersey and Pennsylvania – 52 weeks a year.

The company also partners with Guarino Sons Produce, Inc., a family-owned and operated wholesale produce distributor, and regularly sources produce from Winslow Junction Farm, Scordo Farm, Cassaday Farms, Circle M Farms and Pastore Orchards. Many of these farms and distributorships have been in families for generations just like Inserra Supermarkets.

“We have forecasted out our needs with all of our growers and are in constant contact with them,” added Beelitz. “As always, we aim to provide the ‘best of the best’ to our customers at an affordable price point.”

PHOTO/ contributed:

Inserra Supermarkets, a family-owned ShopRite chain, is well-known for its mission “to care deeply about people and help them to eat well and be happy.” Pictured left to right are Lars Larsen; Marie Inserra; Carl Inserra, Jr.; Lawrence Inserra, Jr.; Lawrence Inserra III; Laura Inserra-Dupont; and Lindsey Inserra.