LANSING, Mich. — Buying locally grown and made products just became easier for Michigan consumers. Kroger Co. launched its “Experience Pure Michigan” campaign this summer, which features Michigan product displays in 21 of its stores from Bay City to Lansing.

More than 55 products – including jams, jellies, honey, pickles, barbecue sauces, mustards and fresh fruits and vegetables – are featured with special tags on products throughout the stores that signify items as either Pure Michigan or Michigan-made.

Dale Hollandsworth, consumer communications with Kroger, said the retail chain worked with the Michigan State University Product Center to develop and launch the campaign in response to consumer demand.

“Consumers have asked for this,” he said. “They say they want to buy more Michigan products.”

Kroger is the second major retail chain in the state to offer local products in select stores. Hollandsworth said the timing of the store’s campaign “was impeccable. The governor and many representatives in our state government have come out and said this is a good thing.

“(U.S. Sen. Debbie) Stabenow and (Gov. Rick) Snyder both have said if Michigan families buy just $10 more per week of Michigan products, it would add $40 million into the Michigan economy,” Hollandsworth said.

“The whole agri-food sector of our economy – when you look at it and the number of jobs it provides – adds over $91 billion to the economy and almost a million jobs. It’s quite an endeavor we have in our grasp to improve upon those numbers and answer a consumer demand.”

Michigan product availability in Kroger stores is expected to have a $500,000 economic impact statewide. Kroger Co. worked with the MSU Product Center to determine the items that would be showcased by the retailer.

“The MSU Product Center’s High Impact Venture Action Team (HI-VAT) worked with Kroger over the past eight months to create a dedicated Michigan section promoting Michigan companies and showcasing the diversity and assortment of great local food,” said Matt Birbeck, HI-VAT project manager for the MSU Product Center.

“Putting this project together for Kroger has been challenging and rewarding, as we worked to find the vendors and product that Kroger wants while creating a distribution network to complete the system.”

New products carried by Kroger are being distributed and stocked by Cherry Capitol Foods of Traverse City through its new distribution facility in DeWitt.

“As a specialty distributor, Cherry Capitol Foods was looking for ways to expand operations into southeastern Michigan. We worked to make the company an authorized supplier to Kroger,” Birbeck said.

For Kroger, Hollandsworth said the Experience Pure Michigan program allows the retailer to “see new products very quickly.” For suppliers, he said the venture allows individuals in the state’s cottage food industry an opportunity to test their products in the marketplace. He said with only 21 stores to supply, small processors can keep up with the demand.

“It gives these small cottage industry producers a chance to see how their products work in the retail environment,” he said. “Cottage industry offers Michigan-made products that are quality from end to end. The products receive TLC through every step of the process. They are nothing but the best products.”

Some of the store’s current cottage industry offerings include Michigan maple syrup, We Be Jammin’ Preserves and Four Bears Honey.