Tops to Carry ‘New York State Grown & Certified’ Produce

Tops Markets LLC has signed on to offer items produced under the New York State Grown & Certified Program, according to a report by local Buffalo, N.Y., NPR news radio station WBFO. Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops is the program’s first supermarket partner in the region.

On Wednesday, Jan. 4, New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball joined representatives of local farms and Tops officials to reveal that the grocer will sell produce grown by qualified farms within New York state.

According to the radio station's report, the program will boost consumer confidence in the foods they buy by encouraging shoppers to support local farms and economies; assuring consumers that the farms adhere to good agricultural practices, including food safety; and requiring participating growers to identify and document environmental stewardship while making continual improvements in that area.

The New York State Grown & Certified Program debuted last August.