LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For more than a decade the Kentucky Proud marketing program has brought customers “to the farm” and made local products part of their daily food consumption. It also has provided a way for farmers to move through a changing agricultural environment of getting new products to a new audience.

Last week, state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer announced an historic partnership between Kentucky Proud and Kroger, one of the largest supermarket chains in the country. According to the the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), Kroger will sell 125 products from 34 Kentucky Proud producers in 88 stores throughout the state.

“This is the biggest single day in the history of the Kentucky Proud program,” said Comer. “The first single-day order totaled $350,000 from small Kentucky Proud producers. That’s a lot of orders, and these products have been on the shelves for a couple of weeks and they are going like crazy.”

Comer said Kroger is already renewing orders and that a purchase of this scope will make a big difference to these producers. “It’s a huge array of Kentucky products grown on Kentucky family farms,” he explained. “The Kentucky Proud program is the most successful marketing program in the history of Kentucky in my opinion, and over the last three years we’ve changed the focus to be about the actual producers.”

The announcement actually came in two Kroger locations, one a Lexington store and the other in Louisville. Inside those stores hang the photos of the some of the producers who are providing goods to the chain.

Several producers were there to mark the occasion, as well as Kroger officials. Tim McGurk, public affairs manager for Kroger’s Louisville division, said for decades Kentucky Kroger stores have offered a significant variety of locally sourced products, especially in the produce, meat and deli departments.

“But this week, thanks to tremendous support from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kroger is taking the ‘Buy Local’ initiative to an entirely new level,” he said. “We know that our shoppers will be thrilled to find all the new products from Kentucky farm families and local producers available in our stores.”

These are coming from producers like Ben and Hannah Hornback of Manitou in Hopkins County, members of a farm family that grows Kentucky Proud Popcorn; Catrina Hill of Louisville, founder of Catrina’s Kitchen, which makes seasoned mixes; and Amy Henson and Wes McFadden of Laurel County, makers of Rock Bottom Goat’s Milk Soap.

Hornback, representing a new generation of farmer, said the partnership is good for his family and farm. “I’ve always believed in the farmer, always believed in agriculture and I’ve always thought the majority of people don’t know where their food comes from,” he said. “With this program, maybe they will get a little more insight to where their food does come from, not just from the grocery store shelf.”

Hill said she used to own a restaurant in Louisville for 12 years where many customers would ask for the custom-made spices used in her recipes. “Because I got so much of that, I found out how to package my product. I knew about Kentucky Proud products; they have a very good reputation and I knew I had to make it Kentucky Proud.”

She said bringing her products to Kroger is a blessing and locally produced goods are quality products.

Kristen Branscum, executive director of KDA’s marketing office, said not only is the partnership an amazing thing for the producers but for customers, as well.

“I think this is going to be a great outlet for people that maybe need a gift basket for Thanksgiving or whatever they may need in December, so I think this is going to be awesome,” she said.

She added it is an amazing thing when retailers such as Kroger see the consumer demand and put these products on the shelves. “We have great producers, great farmers and great corporate partners; that’s the key, and we have consumer demand,” she said. “I think Kentuckians are the best sort of people because we’re all proud to be from Kentucky and support our friends and neighbors.”

To find out more about the Kroger-Kentucky Proud partnership, go to www.ky proud.com/kroger and for more information about Kentucky Proud Popcorn, visit www.kyproudpopcorn.com