"This longstanding Northeast and Mid‑Atlantic supermarket chain, founded in Rochester in 1916 and operating roughly 101 stores, has a reputation for leading on produce and testing new varieties at scale. It trialed orange badger flame beets on seven acres at its organic farm, used select stores and prominent in‑store signage and trained “produce ambassadors” to educate customers, and then rolled the beets into permanent assortment after strong consumer response. The chain’s infrastructure and grower network were instrumental in moving novel vegetables from niche markets into regular retail shelves, though critics note that typical grocery assortments still include many out‑of‑season imports and limited local options." - Lisa Elaine Held