Sappington Farmers’ Market — Our History
Over the years, Sappington Farmers’ Market has become a St. Louis icon. The market has been known as a great place to purchase a huge variety of produce at excellent prices. The market’s twenty-year history has included special attention to ethnic foods in an effort to serve Latino, Asian and Eastern European populations in St. Louis.
Sharing a Dream
Early in 2004, Nancy Smith (an herb grower from Southeast Missouri and a business consultant) and Russ Kremer (president of Missouri Farmers Union and founder of Ozark Mountain Pork and Heritage Acres) became aware of the possibility of buying the market. Nancy and Russ shared a dream of providing a link between Missouri’s sustainable farmers and St. Louis consumers. They began the process which resulted in Farm-to-Family Naturally’s purchase of Sappington Farmers’ Market in July 2008.
A Good Find
Randy Wood, Sappington’s business manager, came on board early in the process. He, too, shared the dream of bringing fresh, natural food to St. Louis. On his own, he was establishing a delivery system from the central Ozarks region to St. Louis. Sappington Farmers’ Market was one of his customers. When Nancy met Randy, she knew that he could be the key to the success of the Farm to Family Naturally, and hired him as the business manager of both Farm to Family Naturally and Sappington Farmers Market.
Partnership Grows
Soon, the other members of Farm to Family Naturally joined forces with Randy, Russ and Nancy. Jim Byrd, who had always had a dream of growing and selling fresh, healthy, sustainable food. Ron McNear, who was president of a beef cooperative dedicated to raising beef the way it was meant to be, naturally. Bryce Oates, whose background in farming had given him the knowledge to develop a successful consulting business. These individuals brought a wealth of experience and the capital necessary to make the dream a reality.
Dream Becomes a Reality
In July of 2008, the dream became a reality. Farm to Family Naturally became the owner of Sappington Farmers Market. Since then, the group has built on the store’s previous successes, developed relationships with other sustainable farmers, and stocked the shelves with sustainably produced local meats, dairy, cheeses and produce.
The commitment to provide a good selection of ethnic foods remains. The store is still a full-service grocery store with reasonable prices. But now, Sappington Farmers Market is the first farmer-owned grocery store in St. Louis. The awesome array of local products has attracted consumers from throughout the St. Louis metro area. The dream is coming true.
