Below please find an interesting article on the front page of the Democrat and Chronicle, which quotes Bob King, director of MCC's new Agriculture and Life Sciences Center, about Wal-Mart looking to buy produce from local farmers.
Wal-Mart could open doors for area growers
Karen Miltner
Staff writer
(January 29, 2007) — As more Wal-Mart Supercenter food stores enter the Finger Lakes region and western New York, local growers are gaining additional markets, said Robert King, agriculture specialist at Monroe Community College.
Sam's Club is also looking to buy more local produce, King said.
"It's another marketing opportunity for farm operations to sell product," said King, referring to the retailers' store-to-door program, where growers deliver produce directly to the store.
Wal-Mart has a long history of buying New York produce, but the lion's share is channeled through the company's distribution centers and then shipped to stores in or beyond New York.
"We have only scratched the surface of store-to-door opportunities," acknowledged Dennis Randolph, regional team leader for produce and floral in the Northeast, who is based at Wal-Mart's distribution center in Johnstown, Fulton County.
Randolph was unable to identify specific growers who are currently taking advantage of this program in the region.
King said he has talked with a few growers who were considering the program, but they decided not to pursue it at this time.
Bob Brown of Brown's Berry Patch in Waterport, Orleans County, said he was contacted by a Wal-Mart buyer late last season about selling strawberries, blueberries and raspberries to the Albion store but decided against it because of logistical challenges.
Those challenges include packaging changes, additional liability insurance and being confident that he could have a ready supply on a regular basis.
"You need to be darn sure you can service them," said Brown.
Brown added that he may reconsider store-to-door berry sales for this season. Brown's Berry Patch has been selling a variety of apples to Wal-Mart through distribution centers up and down the East Coast.
Torrey Farms in Elba, Genesee County, a major grower and shipper of onions, potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables, has been selling to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club for more than a decade.
The retailer "is a very good supporter of New York state agriculture," said marketing manager Maureen Torrey.
But she is skeptical that farms large or small will find store-to-door programs worth their while, especially as Wal-Mart and other food retailers are starting to require growers to have certification of good agricultural practices.
Wal-Mart currently operates supercenters on Hudson Avenue, in Gates and in Henrietta in Monroe County; in Hopewell, Ontario County; in Geneseo, Livingston County; and in Albion, Orleans County.
The Brockport Wal-Mart will open a supercenter in March. New Wal-Mart supercenters have been proposed in Victor, Greece and Le Roy, Genesee County.
Several existing Wal-Mart stores plan to add supercenters in the next year or two, including Newark, Wayne County; Batavia and Geneva.
The region's two Sam's Club locations are in Greece and Henrietta.
Dianne E McConkey
Public Affairs
01/30/2007 |