Every Local Product Has a Story

Word from the Board, September 2026
Christina Campbell, Wheatsfield Board of Directors

Imagine walking into Wheatsfield and picking up a tomato. It is easy to see only the tomato: its color, its shape, perhaps the promise of a summer salad. But what if you paused for a moment and wondered about the story behind it?

Who planted the seed? Who tended the soil? How many early mornings were spent in the garden? What did the weather bring that season? And how did that tomato make its way from the field to the store?

At Wheatsfield, these stories are all around us.

Twenty-four percent of Wheatsfield’s produce is local. The store works with 110 local producers and carries 1,162 local products. Behind those numbers are farmers, bakers, cheesemakers, growers, and makers who are part of our food community.

Choosing local food is one way we can make those often-invisible connections visible again.

Our food system makes it easy to eat foods from almost anywhere in the world at almost any time of year. That convenience is wonderful, but it can also distance us from the people, places, seasons, and landscapes that make our food possible. Local food offers another possibility: a chance to know more about where our food comes from and, perhaps, to know the person who produced it.

But what exactly does local mean?

Is it food grown within 10 miles? 50 miles? Somewhere in Iowa? The Midwest? Is it a product made by a local producer using ingredients from elsewhere? There is no single definition. And perhaps that is the point. At Wheatsfield Co-op, we define LOCAL as grow, produced, or made within the state of Iowa.

I invite you to create your own definition and take the local food challenge.

Start with one meal. Can you create a meal using as many local ingredients as possible? If that feels good, try a whole day. Then perhaps a week. Or maybe your commitment is simply choosing one local item every time you shop.

As you experiment, pay attention to what you discover. Do you notice the seasons differently? Find a new producer? Ask different questions about your food? Perhaps you discover that eating locally is easier than you thought or perhaps you encounter barriers that make it difficult. Both are valuable discoveries.

The goal isn’t perfection. It is connection and curiosity.

So, the next time you shop at Wheatsfield, look for the local products. Choose something familiar or try something new. Take a moment to imagine the story behind it.

Because 1,162 local products are not simply things on a shelf. They are opportunities to create a relationship with another person, a place, and the food system that nourishes us all.

Want to explore local food?

Check out the Iowa Local Food System Coalition, a nonprofit working toward a healthier, more just, and sustainable Iowa food system. Their summer Eat Local Challenge offers a fun way to explore local foods. Cultivate Local Food Connections is another great resource, connecting consumers with small-scale producers and regenerative farming practices.