One thing the produce industry is known for is a willingness to help those in need.
That’s evident in the Midwest, where produce distributors routinely provide surplus fruits and vegetables to food banks and charitable organizations.
A number of vendors on or near the St. Louis Produce Market — or Produce Row — are well known to nonprofits and food banks like Operation Food Search.
Midwest Best Produce Inc. in St. Louis and Vaccaro & Sons Produce on the market are just two of the organization’s supporters.
Midwest Best Produce usually donates to Operation Food Search and other food banks and churches a couple of times a week, says owner Edin Saric. The distributor is quick to offer any excess or off-grade product to help the hungry, he says.
Likewise, Vaccaro & Sons Produce works with Operation Food Search and other pantries, says Dale Vaccaro, general manager. He estimates that the distributor sends out two to three pallets a month.
“They’re always in need, so it can never be enough,” he says. “The demand, unfortunately right now, is outpacing the supply for people who are in need of food.”
A main goal of St. Louis-based Operation Food Search is to make fresh, nutritious food available to people in the community who need it, says Matt Kasate, director of in-kind donations.
“Partners like Vaccaro & Sons Produce have collectively more than doubled the amount of food donated over the past two years, up to 23,503 pounds this year versus 11,830 in 2024,” he says.
The organization has a program called MetroMarket that visits areas considered food deserts within the St. Louis metro area, he says.
“We arrive in our custom-built trucks that are packed with fresh produce as well as a selection of meats, dairy and nonperishable items,” says Jessica Murphy, MetroMarket senior manager.
Last year, the program served nearly 40,000 people, providing access to needed nutrition at significantly lower prices than retail grocers, she says.
In North Kansas City, Mo., C&C Produce formed its relationship with food banks and nonprofits during the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program, when the company was producing more than 100,000 boxes of assorted produce per week, says Nick Conforti Jr., vice president of warehouse operations.
“That program built great partnerships with food banks and food-focused nonprofits across our region,” he says.
When that program ended, the company continued to work with its partners to help them secure funding to keep produce flowing to the families they serve, he says.
“Since then, we’ve collaborated with them to hit different price points and assortments, and we’ve helped tailor specifications for food pharmacy, produce prescription and other food-as-medicine programs,” he says.
