How We Choose

So, where does our produce come from?  We work with our ad company, and grocery warehouse to bring you fresh produce at a great price.  Produce is rated in grades, just like meat (you've probably seen 'Grade A meat').  We purchase the higher, premium grade produce, because our big focus is quality.  Other chain stores may purchase lower grades, especially if they have multiple store and have to stock a larger quantity.  When a shipment of fruits or vegetables comes in, the first step is inspection.  Sandy, our produce manager, checks out the overall appearance of the product, and often samples it, too.  If it doesn't meet her high standards of quality, it is sent back.


We Love Local

When we can get local produce in, we do.  Again, it depends on the quality of the crop, and Sandy inspects anything that comes in, before it makes the shelf.  We look for opportunities to bring in produce from southern Illinois and the surrounding communities.  We believe in supporting local and buying local, we have partnerships with various local produce suppliers.  This also helps us provide a more affordable product.  With gas prices climbing,  your cost is paying for more than the fruit you get.  We try to bring in our fruits and vegetables from the USA, especially the southern states, as opposed to other countries.  It's about cost efficiency, quality produce, and supporting our country and our local farmers.

 

 

Limited Supplies...

The weather is the real produce manager.  When areas experience damaging hail storms, droughts, long winters, and more, it affects produce quality, prices, and supply.   Farmers do try to work around this. One strategy is various planting times.  For example, one part of Missouri may plant tomatoes two to three weeks ahead of another part, while Arkansas may have planted a month ahead.   This ensures that the tomatoes will stay at a more stable price, and that the supply will last longer through the summer.  Occasionally (due to weather) there just isn't a supply of a certain fruit or vegetable.  We do try our best to contact other suppliers, and make sure that any "substituted" produce we get in is up to par in quality and taste.