Peapod, the grocery delivery program for Stop & Shop Supermarket, is now bringing local farm produce to doorsteps in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Produce is sourced from four farms – Town Farm, Ward’s Berry Farm, the Kitchen Garden, and Langwater Farm – as well as the Farm Fresh Rhode Island food hub. The $34.99 Peapod Local Farm Box contains different produce depending upon the season, harvested at its peak.
While this model isn’t new – Boston Organics, Valley Green Feast, Berkshire Organics, and others are also aggregating local farm products and delivering them to homes in Massachusetts – what is new is that the Peapod model is one of the first examples of a large grocery store chain teaming up with local farmers to make local produce available to its customers. With Stop & Shop and Peapod’s ability to distribute groceries efficiently and widely, markets for local farms could expand and customers who might not typically seek out local produce could be introduced to the variety of vegetables and fruits grown in Massachusetts.
