Tops Friendly Markets & Herban Fresh partner for contest supporting community gardens

Tops Friendly Markets is partnering with refrigerated soup line Herban Fresh for a contest supporting the launch of the Herban Fresh Farm Fund. The contest will be open to nonprofit groups and schools with one winner being awarded $5,000 for the purpose of building or enhancing a local community garden in the areas Tops operates.

Applications will be accepted from Friday, April 1, to Saturday, April 30. To find out more details or to apply, visit https://www.topsmarkets.com/herbanfresh during the month of April.

A press release noted, “The positive impacts of community gardens include building stronger neighborhoods, increasing access to healthy foods, and improving air quality.”

The Herban Fresh line was created in 2019 by Massachusetts-based food manufacturer Plenus Group Inc. to offer premium soups tied to a strong social mission. Two percent of each sale from the soups go directly to support urban agriculture initiatives, including community gardens, education, and other activities that support access to quality foods.

“Plenus Group is proud to be a partner with Tops,” said Joe Jolly, CEO of Plenus Group. “They were one of the first retailers to give us the opportunity to introduce Herban Fresh into the marketplace. We look forward to growing this partnership and having a positive impact on the communities Tops serves through the Herban Fresh Farm Fund.”

Herban Fresh has distributed more than $100,000 toward urban agriculture to date. Beyond the initial $5,000 grant, the Herban Fresh Farm Fund will continue to distribute 2% of sales at Tops to local organizations.

“Tops is thrilled to be able to partner with Herban Fresh on this initiative that will help a local nonprofit enhance their community garden, which, in-turn will help our communities thrive,” said Pam Saxon, category business manager of prepared foods for Tops. “This project was also a natural fit as it aligns seamlessly with Tops mission to help eradicate hunger and improve the quality of lives of children.”

Herban Fresh’s offerings spotlight all-natural soups, including the broccoli cheddar, chicken noodle, Italian wedding soup and a brand-new flavor, a colorful roasted corn and red pepper chowder. For more information, visit herbanfreshfoods.com.

Based in Williamsville, Tops Markets currently operates 150 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including five that are run by franchisees. For more information, visit www.topsmarkets.com.

Plenus Group operates a USDA-FDA-inspected, HACCP-compliant and SQF level II-certified food manufacturing facility in Lowell. For more information, visit www.pgifoods.com.