Meijer is turning to a neighbor to provide its customers with sustainably produced greens. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer has teamed up with Revolution Farms, based in nearby Caledonia, to widen its offering of hydroponically grown lettuce products.
Revolution Farms’ offerings, including lettuce and salad greens, will now be sold in all 262 Meijer locations. The products are grown using 90% less water, 90% less land and 95% closer to shoppers’ homes and are packaged onsite within a couple of days of harvest.
In another facet of the partnership, Revolution Farms is growing the lettuce for the retailer’s “Fresh from Meijer” salad kits. The kits are available in several varieties including Caesar, Cobb, Harvest, Southwest and BLT.
“Supporting local farms and carrying the freshest, most nutritious ingredients is important to us and to our customers,” said Sarah Jennings, Meijer’s produce buyer. “As a Michigan family company, we are committed to being good stewards of our community by not only constantly enhancing our own sustainable practices, but also by using our shelves as a platform to promote brands that share our passion.”
John Green, founder and CEO of Revolution Farms, noted the companies’ plans and goals are aligned. “Food tastes better when it’s grown closer to you. Meijer is our hometown retail partner, so partnering with them to expand their local greens selection, as well as growing the lettuce for their salad kits, will help more families easily find sustainably grown, nutrient-rich greens. Our recent greenhouse expansion has given us the ability to grow even more lettuce varieties, as well as become a Meijer Fresh partner.”
Meijer operates supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. It is No. 20 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food retailers in North America.