Schnucks bolsters local produce sourcing with partner Foodshed.io

Schnuck Markets has partnered with logistics and marketing platform Foodshed.io to purchase more than $5 million of locally sourced produce and other goods.

Under the agreement, announced Thursday, 112 Schnucks stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa will be supplied with fruit, vegetables and other items from farms within reach of the St. Louis-based retailer’s market area. A mobile marketing app and logistics solution, Foodshed.io connects small-scale farmers to chefs, supermarkets and institutional buyers to create local supply chains in a 250-mile radius.

“Like Schnucks, these local farms have been feeding families and nourishing communities for many generations,” Mike Tipton, vice president of produce at Schnucks, said in a statement. “Our continued support of local farms allows us to also provide the best quality and freshest produce to our customers who have supported us for more than 80 years.”

Foodshed.io uses blockchain technology, route optimization and realtime updates to bridge gaps in local sourcing. The St. Louis-based company said that, for farmers, its platform helps provide access to urban markets and enables them to respond to local demand and opportunities. Meanwhile, for buyers, Foodshed.io said its technology streamlines and aggregates inventory from multiple farms, creating a more efficient, reliable market where they can place all of their orders.

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Foodshed.io connects small-scale farmers to chefs, supermarkets and institutional buyers to create local supply chains within a 250-mile radius. 

For Schnucks, the partnership with Foodshed.io will help the grocer build on its current farmer relationships and establish new ones. Foodshed.io noted that its platform also will bring more sourcing flexibility to Schnucks as it continues to operate under the coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted supply chains across the grocery industry.

“With the advent of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to support the local supply chain and local farms during these uncertain times,” according to Dan Beckmann, CEO of Foodshed.io. “Schnucks and Foodshed.io are committed to bringing the freshest seasonal produce from farms located no further than a five-hour drive from any one Schnucks store, ensuring customers are receiving the freshest local product possible.”

Foodshed.io started out in New York City and then — after participating in the St. Louis-based Yield Lab Incubator, as part of the Ag Tech Innovation community — the company shifted to the St. Louis area.

Related:Despite coronavirus, retailers keep produce supply fresh

“We are proud to be working with a family-owned and operated company like Schnucks to bring one of the most innovative platforms for local sourcing to the five states they serve,” Beckmann stated. “Being afforded the opportunity to establish a clean, safe, reliable, fresh and local supply chain with these amazing family farms is an honor and a privilege.”