Tucked behind the Schnucks headquarters in Maryland Heights is a small outdoor garden where zucchini, tomatoes and peppers are growing on raised beds.
Recognizing the rising interest in home gardens, Kathy Gottsacker, Schnucks' director of food education, thought it would be a good idea to get better acquainted with the trend. This way she can have more first-hand knowledge to educate customers about how to grow and use local produce.
"Last year was a terrible tomato year," she said a bit dejectedly of the garden's inaugural year. "But our zucchini was brilliant!"
The produce and herbs from the garden are used in the company's cafeteria — and sometimes as raw materials in Schnucks' two new test kitchens, which were recently completed in some empty office space across the back parking lot.
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