Dierbergs – Homegrown’s Here!

This post is a paid partnership with Dierbergs. As always, our opinions are our own.

My family has been shopping at Dierbergs since I was a kid. I have fond memories of going there after school with my dad to pick out ingredients for dinner (and perhaps getting a sweet treat from the bakery for an after school snack). Fast forward twenty something years, and going to Dierbergs is still an integral part of my weekly routine. Actually, our family goes multiple times a week! We’ve always loved their inventory, fresh produce, friendly staff, and local finds. There’s now yet a new reason for us to shop at Dierbergs: the homegrown produce.

Love eating local? So do they. And you can’t get much more local than this! The homegrown produce from Dierbergs is grown in Missouri and Illinois, and Dierbergs works with local farmers to make sure it’s picked, packed, and delivered to the stores within 24 hours. When we learned that from the Dierbergs team, we were blown away!! Your favorite vegetable you’re enjoying at dinner may have been growing in the field that same morning. No wonder it tastes so good!

The produce isn’t the only thing these farmers are growing. They’re also putting down roots and growing a healthy relationship with Dierbergs. Some of the family farms have been in business with Dierbergs for decades. These trusted relationships ensure high-quality produce is delivered to the store. It’s a win for the farmers, too, knowing they’re in a reliable business partnership with Dierbergs helps continue their family business.

After hopping out of your car and walking up to the store, you’ll notice a sign outside Dierbergs displaying how many homegrown items they have in stock today. I love seeing this sign out front then exploring which items they’ll have in season during my visit. Next to many of the items are photos of the farmers and where their farm is located. I used to think that to get fresh tomatoes, corn, peaches, etc., we’d need a trip to the farmer’s market, but with the homegrown section from Dierbergs, it’s basically like shopping at a farmer’s market! Then I can continue getting my other weekly items from elsewhere in the store.

The homegrown produce truly is beautiful. This section is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables that rotate naturally as the seasons change. Not only does the produce look beautiful, but it also tastes great. These peaches from Bader Farms in Campbell, Missouri are what we call in our house, “over-the-sinkers.” Sweet, juicy, and best eaten on a hot summer day over a sink. Nothin’ like it.

Look at these beautiful watermelons! Again, they’re picked, packed, and delivered within 24 hours and they’re sweet and juicy. Mike Ochs & Sons farm is located in Perryville, Missouri, and has been a Dierbergs partner since 1975. We’re all a big fan of watermelon in our house, so you know we’ll be getting these throughout the summer!

One of our favorite dishes to make to showcase the flavors of summer is a caprese salad. I don’t know if you can actually call it a “salad,” but I guess it is. It’s so simple that you don’t even need a formal recipe, but the key ingredient is a farm-fresh summer tomato. Country Lane Farm from Shobonier, IL provides these gorgeous tomatoes along with watermelon, peppers, zucchini, pumpkins, and wildflowers. This local farm is operated by a Mennonite family, adhering to traditional Mennonite values, including horse-drawn field machinery. The Dierbergs buyers connect with the growers at this farm via the neighbors on the phone!

To make this delicious dish, simply layer tomatoes and mozzarella, then top it with fresh basil from the garden, balsamic glaze (you can buy this at Dierbergs, too), and a crack of black pepper. I don’t know if there’s another combination of flavors that screams summer more loudly than this dish. We serve it regularly at our at-home happy hours or as an appetizer when we have guests.

Next time you need groceries and want to be guaranteed fresh, local, delicious produce, consider visiting the homegrown section of Dierbergs. It is clear they are proud of the strong family relationships they’ve built with the local farmers to bring us all high-quality produce. To learn more about homegrown, visit this page on the Dierbergs website. We’ll see you at Dierbergs this summer!