Locally produced food offers a choice to chew on

From an article by Mike Hoeft in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

You'd think grocery stores would consider local farmers markets a competitive threat to their business.

But Festival Foods is one grocer that welcomes farmers markets onto its property. Farmers markets operate in parking lots outside three Festival Foods stores in Brown County through the summer.

"The response has been favorable," said Mark Skogen, president and chief executive officer of Festival Foods. The 10-store chain, started by his parents, first offered a farmers market at its Onalaska store years ago.

"The first thought is that it will put our produce department out of business," he said. But it hasn't. It draws a different type of customer or those who make additional purchases.

"It feels good to support local farmers," Skogen said. "If we had our way, we would have all local produce."

Dick's Family Foods in Wrightstown also hosts a farmers market on Thursday afternoons. Arkansas-based Wal-Mart announced efforts recently to buy local produce.