Published 8:45 pm Friday, September 6, 2019
From Driggs to McCall, the Idaho Preferred Retail Roadshow is making its way across the state on its third annual tour to promote local, seasonal produce.
September is the peak of harvest season, and the roadshow will highlight local produce and the economic benefits of buying locally through events at 29 grocery stores.
Administered by the Idaho Department of Agriculture, the Idaho Preferred program identifies and promotes food and agricultural products grown, raised or processed in the state.
“There are more than 185 different agricultural commodities produced in Idaho,” Skylar Jett, manager of the program and a trade specialist with ISDA, said.
“Choosing to purchase these products supports Idaho farmers, producers, communities and the Idaho economy as a whole,” she said.
The roadshow kicked off Sept. 6 in Driggs and is making its way across the state, with a final stop in Boise on Sept. 29.
“The Idaho Roadshow has a lot of benefits for producers and agriculture as a whole,” Jett said.
It brings awareness to consumers of the Idaho products in their stores, allows them to sample Idaho products and in some cases meet the farmers and ranchers who produce the food, she said.
“Last year’s sales of Idaho produce increased $2.5 million because of the roadshow,” she said.
Sales of Idaho-grown produce for participating roadshow retailers in 2018 increased by 150% to 315% during September compared to 2017, according to ISDA.
Since the first year of the roadshow, Idaho Preferred has increased the number of events, participating retailers, participating agricultural partners and the volume of sales.
Commodity commissions, Idaho Preferred members and Idaho producers will be in stores providing samples of their products and connecting with shoppers.
Shoppers will also be able to take advantage of sale prices, enter to win prizes, pick up recipe ideas and learn about Idaho agriculture.
The list of roadshow locations can be found at
