What Homegrown Means to you
Meijer is the largest purchaser of local produce in the markets we serve.
In fact, Meijer purchases more Michigan Apples, for example, than anyone in
the country.
This not only supports local economies, but means fresher produce in your
shopping cart, and often at lower prices.
And it doesn't stop there. Meijer visits farms each year in our 5 state area.
We work with local growers on the quality we expect, food safety, packaging,
and cooling.
We meet with most local growers who deliver to our distribution center prior
to the growing season to go over concerns from last year and expectations
for this year. Most of our locally grown produce comes straight to our
distribution center for quality checks to make sure it meets our standards.
And our local growers will tell you, our standards are higher than our competition. We don't buy locally grown produce just to buy it. It has to be as good or better than what's available from other growers, or we simply will not buy it.
On this page you'll find a growing chart so you'll know what's in stores now and coming soon, and get a chance to meet the growers behind the fresh produce on our shelves and in your kitchen.
Seasonal Growing Chart
Featured Farmer
Du Russel's Potato Farms
Manchester, MI
The Du Russel family has farmed in Michigan for over 125 years. In 1873, Jules Du Russel with his brother Constantine left Switzerland to settle in Detroit. Jules and his son Charles farmed there until the 1920's when they were urbanized out of the area.
Charles and his son Raymond moved to Utica and grew hot house rhubarb, in addition to potatoes, on 300 acres. Raymond sold the business to his sons Howard (Bud) and Don. They were again urbanized out of the area and moved to Manchester in 1969.
By 1976, the farm of over 1,100 acres was incorporated as Du Russels' Potato Farms, Inc. Today, Bud, his son Howard, Don and his sons Mike and Pat, are the decision making partners.
Over the years we've diversified our crop inventory. Potatoes now represent only a fourth of our revenue where it was once the main crop we grew. Currently we farm over 2,000 acres and produce green onions, red radishes, spinach, mustard greens, turnip tops, collard greens, kale, beets, cilantro, soup dill, flat parsley, curly parsley, flat mustard, arugula, bi-color sweet corn, strawberries, oats, wheat, soy beans, field corn, Swiss chard and Michigan round white potatoes.
The Du Russel family is proud to provide Meijer and its customers with the very best in locally grown produce.
