News

Walmart highlights commitment to local farmers with Midwest tours

Walmart store managers are touring farms across the Midwest to strengthen supply chain transparency and prioritize local suppliers during harvest.

Jeff Stone, with Corporate Affairs and Community Relations at Walmart, tells Brownfield the “Grow with Us” tours highlight how farmers and local communities grow with the company.

“I think what this reemphasized is Walmart’s commitment to buy and procure locally grown product, not just locally grown product, but product that’s good, it is fresh,” he says.

Stone says “Locally Grown” sections in stores are supplied from farmers in those states.

As the second most diverse state in the country, he says Michigan growers are especially important.

“Michigan supplies so many different varieties, from cherries, peaches, leafy lettuces, and in this farm today, apples, asparagus, and much, much more – so they are very significant,” he underscores.

He says the experience helps employees better understand the end-to-end story of food.

“We have visited various farms from horseradish, leafy lettuce, a variety of peppers, squash, and cucumbers,” he shares. “We have looked at a beautiful apple orchard. Yesterday, we saw more potatoes than I thought could ever be grown.”

Walmart sourced $1.5 billion in locally grown produce over the past fiscal year and remains the largest seller of fruits and vegetables in the U.S.

Walmart and Sam’s Club operators visited multi-generational family operations Fresh Solution Farms, Riveridge Produce Marketing, and Walter P. Rawl and Sons, Inc. as part of their tour throughout Michigan this past week.