Second free grocery store Today's Harvest opens in Maplewood

A new free grocery store opened Tuesday in Maplewood, offering greater assistance to Minnesotans who may otherwise struggle to afford groceries.

About 20 people were lined up Tuesday morning as they waited for the opening of the new store Today's Harvest, which is located in a former grocery store at 1740 Van Dyke St.

"It's very convenient for me, and it helps to save, especially since I'm a single mom," said Chee Yang, 38. "It's hard with groceries prices always being so high."

Today's Harvest is run by the Minnesota food bank Open Cupboard, which also operates a free store in Oakdale. As Yang and others waited for the Maplewood store to open, state politicians and Open Cupboard employees wrapped up a ribbon-cutting event inside with workers scuttling around the store to get it ready for its first customers.

Unlike food shelves, Today's Harvest allows shoppers to pick out what items they wish to take home. It also allows those who don't wish to disclose their personal information or income level to shop anonymously. Whereas food shelves typically ask for one's name and address, Today's Harvest customers only have to provide the number of people in their household and their ZIP code.

The markets help reduce food waste by obtaining food from stores that is close to expiring but is still safe to eat. The shops include open trays with fresh produce as well as refrigerators with meat, dairy and other products. The refrigerators and freezers each have a sign at the top indicating how many items a customer is allowed to take during their visit.

Jessica Francis, executive director of Open Cupboard, said in her speech Tuesday the market anticipates providing food to an estimated 700 households each day. She described Today's Harvest as a place catered both to those who struggle with food insecurity, and those who may need temporary assistance as they experience a short-term financial struggle.

"If they hit a bump in the road or they have a crisis, they can lean on us a little more heavily for a little while, until they get back on their feet," Francis said.

The roughly $1 million in funding to renovate the building included a mix of state government funding, and funding from individual donors and foundations, Francis said. There are no immediate plans for additional free markets, but Francis noted tours will be provided for other organizations that may be interested in opening their own free stores in other parts of Minnesota.

State senators Erin Murphy and Tou Xiong were among those in attendance at Tuesday's ribbon cutting to offer their support.

With rising food costs, the number of Minnesotans struggling to afford food has climbed over the past decade. Minnesota is on track for its third consecutive year of record-breaking visits to food shelves. The state is likely to record close to nine million food shelf visits by the end of this year, about 1.5 million more than last year.

On Monday, shoppers at the pre-existing Today's Harvest in Oakdale said they were excited for the new Maplewood location, which some noted is closer to their homes and conveniently along a bus line. They also gave a wide range of reasons for why they visit the store.

Luther Burris, a 38-year-old man from Woodbury, said he began to shop at the store after he developed glaucoma and lost his job.

"It definitely helped me out with supplementing a lot of things," Burris said. "Open Cupboard has really been a big blessing to my family."

Another customer, Eileen Aanenson, said she was at the Oakdale store to buy groceries for three grandchildren she raises. She noted the store can be incredibly busy at times.

"This place is lined up around the corner on some days," she said.