In 1988 Mark Pluhacek’s family bought Broadmoor Market, a neighborhood grocery store with a history of catering to three generations of shoppers in an upscale Omaha, Nebraska, neighborhood. Several years into the business, the family decided to steer the store’s inventory to natural and organic foods because of their own interests and the public’s growing desire for healthier foods.
This change of emphasis led to dealings with local growers because their produce is fresher than what the store can get through conventional distributors – usually by as much as three weeks, says Mark .

Mark’s family has been able to work with local growers while they learn the ins and outs of supplying a retail market’s needs. Mark says that it’s probably easier for Broadmoor to work with local growers; bigger stores are more departmentalized with management decisions being made off premises.

Here is Mark’s advice to grocers and growers who want to do business together:
•“The key is communication.” Set aside time to talk before the planting season so each can learn the other’s needs. By identifying what moves off the shelves well, and what quantity and quality is needed, the grocer can help the grower decide what to plant and how much. Together they can decide on new products to try with the store’s clientele.
•Timing is everything for a grocer. Mark appreciates it when local growers contact him ahead of time each week or so (if they don’t have a regular delivery schedule) because he will put in his orders to his conventional wholesale distributors up to four days ahead unless he hears from his growers. If something comes up and a grower can’t deliver, Mark needs to hear about it right away, especially on stock items like potatoes and green beans.
•Just showing up with a truck of beautiful fresh produce usually won’t work because the store may already have filled its shelves with that item. It’s better to call ahead so the grocer can let the grower know what, if anything, he can use.
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•It helps if growers bring in some samples ahead of time so the grocer can see the quality of their wares and they can get to know each other face-to-face.
•Charge enough; local growers need to have confidence in the value of their produce. Mark shares with growers the wholesalers’ price and the store’s mark-up and asks them to set their price accordingly so they don’t burn out over the long haul. This practice is just good business for the grocer says Mark. “Local produce sells well. Because it looks better, I can get more for it, so it’s worth my while to work with growers’ prices,” he said.¶

Katherine Houston Brown, Ph.D., is an applied anthropologist, freelance writer, and artist. She founded City Sprouts, an inner-city garden project in Omaha Nebraska. Now living in Northern California, Katherine can be reached at khbrown@earthlink.net