Midwest Grocer Taps Into Local Growers

Midwest grocer Meijer, which began by selling locally produced foods from area growers, is substantially expanding its commitment to home grown fruits and vegetables by 20% this year, announced Mark Stevenson, produce director at the Grand Rapids, MI-based supercenter chain on Tuesday.

Meijer’s “Home Grown” initiative of sourcing fruits and vegetables from local producers has grown considerably the past five years to include more than 75 Midwest farms and farmers. In total, Meijer expects to pump more than $60 million into local economies through its program of partnering with farms throughout Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, up from $50 million last year.

More than 75 different fruits and vegetables are sourced from area farmers and sold at Meijer stores throughout the Midwest. Nearly half of the growers Meijer supports through its “Home Grown” program deliver their fresh fruit and vegetables directly to individual stores.

“We’ll be sourcing considerably more locally grown items from neighboring farms this year,” said Stevenson. "It’s good business for them, and is a tremendous benefit to local economies, the environment and our shoppers.”

Currently, Meijer is one of the largest buyers of locally grown produce in its five-state region. The company states that local produce accounts for nearly 27% of all the fruits and vegetables sold throughout the 195-store supercenter chain during the peak growing season.

For more information, go to www.meijer.com.

Source: Meijer press release