Schnucks expands “Farmer’s Market” concept, building on Local Produce Partnership

St. Louis-based grocery retailer Schnucks, in partnership with logistics and marketing platform Foodshed.io, is expanding a farm-direct-to-store concept, increasing the number and types of farms its customers experience, all to enhance flavor and freshness.  

This pilot program began in fall 2024 with one farm supplying multiple locations across the St. Louis metropolitan region. Following its success, Schnucks included additional farmers and more store locations in 2025. 

“This program is a natural next step in our mission to strengthen our local food economy and provide our customers with the freshest possible products,” said Michael Tipton, VP of Produce & Floral.

The executive explained that by working with 'hyper-local' farms located just miles from the company's stores, the company is reducing transportation times and delivering produce to customers just hours after harvest.  

Wouldn't be possible without Schnucks' key partners

Ozark Forest Mushroom, the retailer's original farm partner in this program, has played a key role in its success. Operating in the heart of St. Louis in the city’s Fox Park neighborhood, the farm specializes in a line of gourmet mushrooms and now supplies more than thirteen Schnucks locations each week, year-round.

Their proximity to the retailer's stores enables the farm to handle last-minute orders and efficient delivery. 

“Throughout our tenure, we’ve been connected with smaller family-owned farms that were meeting food safety compliance, producing high-quality fruits and vegetables, but just couldn’t meet the volume commitments necessary to make a delivery to a distribution center worthwhile,” said Dan Beckmann, CEO at Foodshed.io. “This program solves a gap in the local food supply chain, matching growers with Schnucks store locations that match their volume capabilities.” 

This year, Schnucks expanded its “Hyper Local” program to its Evansville, Indiana market, offering a variety of local produce items, including sweet corn from Family Tradition Farm, blackberries from Stoll’s Greenhouse, and green bell peppers from Mayse Farm Market. 

“We’ve been serving the Evansville market for nearly 50 years,” said Stephen Rennels, division manager at Schnucks. “It was our pleasure to connect our customers to farms they know and love—and expect to expand further as the next summer approaches.” 

Schnucks and Foodshed.io have been partnering to improve access to local produce for over six seasons, working on innovations ranging from “Fresh Produce Now” alerts to building systems that make farm-to-store delivery possible and affordable for their loyal customers. 

Related stories 

Chilean retail giant Cencosud set to acquire The Fresh Market

Walmart welcomes John Furner as President and CEO for new 'AI-Driven Transformation' era