Is all your produce local?

We buy as much of our produce locally as possible. The amount of local produce available at any given time is entirely dependent on the growing season, which is entirely dependent on the Illinois climate. What this typically means is that you'll start seeing a few locally-grown items in May, and the selection will expand gradually until the peak season in August, when half to three quarters of our produce tends to be local. This bounty continues through October, when we usually see the first frost and production falls off.

Our local suppliers are continually improving their techniques for extending the growing season, so don't be surprised to find local carrots, onions, potatoes, and salad greens well into the winter. On the other hand, member demand is such that we will always need to stock some items from afar. For example, bananas are consistently our best-selling produce item. Citrus fruits, avocados, and ginger require a climate which is (we hope) impossible to achieve locally. Have more questions about produce? E-mail our produce manager, Jessy, and she'd be happy to answer them.