September 23, 2025
Local Sourcing Innovation in Independent and Locally-Owned Groceries
Submitted by Clara Misenhelter
Independent and locally-owned grocery stores are a crucial part of the food system, but many lack local food offerings. This is a missed opportunity for both grocers and producers: local food can give grocers a competitive edge, while independent grocery stores can serve as stable marketing outlets for producers. To increase local food offerings, innovative local sourcing models are needed.
Through a cooperative agreement, the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University and USDA Agricultural Marketing Services endeavored to answer the following question: "What lessons can be learned from innovative local sourcing models that could help locally owned, independent, and rural groceries become better integrated into local and regional supply chains?"
The research team developed five in-depth case studies of businesses and organizations that have pioneered solutions to increase local food access in grocery stores.
Join us for a webinar on October 2 at 12:00 PM Central to explore key findings from this research project. Register here for the webinar link. Contact rgi@ksu.edu with questions.