FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

For more information contact:
Bill Clary

(502) 564-4696

bill.clary@ky.gov

KENTUCKY PROUD FREEZER BEEF PROMOTION SURPASSES GOAL

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Barely off the launching pad, Remke Markets’ freezer beef promotion has soared beyond anyone’s expectations.

Remke already has exceeded its goal to sell 30 “blended quarters” consisting of approximately 100 pounds of Kentucky Proud beef from Kentucky’s Choice Homegrown Beef, a group of farm families and St. Catharine Farm in Washington County. The employee-owned northern Kentucky grocery business is offering a free freezer valued at $299 for each customer’s first order.

“This confirms what we already knew – that there is heavy demand for high-quality Kentucky Proud products,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “Kentucky Proud is good for the consumer, but it’s also good for the retailers who increase their sales, and it’s good for the farmers who improve their incomes so they can stay on the farm.”

About half of the purchasers are from nearby Ohio. “Increasingly we are finding that Kentucky Proud means freshness and quality to consumers not just in Kentucky but throughout the country,” Commissioner Farmer said.

The beef is graded USDA choice and contains no antibiotics, steroids or hormones. It is sold vacuum-packed and freezer-ready. The cattle from which the beef is produced are born and raised on the same farm. Remke will replace the beef or refund the cost to any customer who is not satisfied.

Orders are placed 30 days in advance with no down payment and may be picked up at any Remke store in northern Kentucky.

Remke will conduct demonstrations during June where customers can get valuable tips for cooking the beef. Rodger Bingham of Grant County, “Kentucky Joe” from the CBS-TV series “Survivor,” will greet Remke customers from 2-4 p.m. June 15 at the Buttermilk Pike store, June 22 at the Hebron store, and June 29 at the Taylor Mill store. Bingham is deputy executive director of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s marketing office.

Kentucky Proud is the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s farm marketing program. The Kentucky Proud logo tells consumers that product was raised or produced in Kentucky by Kentuckians. More than 800 producers, retailers, restaurants and farmers’ markets are members of Kentucky Proud.

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