Food City is well-known for their locally grown produce initiative. Their farm to table partnership with local growers provides their valued customers with fresh-from-the-field fruits and vegetables, many of which are delivered the same day they’re picked. What began over twenty years ago with a small number of items and a handful of area farmers has grown into a multi-million-dollar operation. Today, Food City purchases over $5 million annually in locally grown produce. 

“We pride ourselves in selecting the best possible products for our customers,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “Our local farms are known for producing some of the finest produce in the country. Buying local provides our customers with the freshest produce possible, while supporting our local economies. In many instances, our locally grown items arrive the same day they are picked. It simply doesn’t get any fresher than that”.

In 2007, Food City created the Wayne Scott Memorial Grower of the Year Award. The award is named in honor of Unicoi County farmer Wayne Scott, one of the first to partner with the retail supermarket chain. Wayne Scott’s leadership, passion for the business and dedication to delivering the “best produce possible” are just a few of the reasons for his tremendous success. The award recognizes one outstanding local grower each year. 

James Hayes of Mountainaire Farms in Mouth of Wilson, VA was named this year’s award recipient. Hayes learned the value of hard work at an early age, helping his grandparents with cattle farming and gardening. During high school, he gained valuable experience working for local farmers, which inspired him to pursue his own entrepreneurial journey. At the young age of 18, Hayes started his own Christmas tree farm. At age 20, he married his lovely wife of 37 years. Together, they welcomed three beautiful children into their lives. While building a family, he also maintained a full-time job for 23 years. 

As his business began to grow, Hayes expanded into tobacco farming, a skill he inherited from his grandparents, and eventually transitioned into cultivating pumpkins and vegetables. He joined the Food City Local Growers program in 2017. Hayes’ commitment to producing the highest quality crops is evident in everything he does, taking immense pride in his work. A truly dedicated and hardworking individual, he continually strives to grow his business by sharing his knowledge and experiences with his children and grandchildren. Hayes is also dedicated to his community, having served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the past 30 years and donating pumpkins to local schools and churches.

Food City purchases produce from a number of local farms, including those in Grainger, Blount, Cocke, and Sullivan counties in Tennessee; Scott, Carroll, Grayson, and Washington counties in Virginia; Shelby County in Alabama; Cherokee County in North Carolina, and is the exclusive outlet for a number of them. 

“We enjoy a great partnership with a number of local farms. We’re proud to be the exclusive retail outlet for a number of them and of course our customers love the added convenience,” says Joe Greene, vice president of produce operations for Food City.

Food City purchases a wide variety of items from local growers, including tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, cabbage, half runner beans, okra, peppers, squash, gourds, pumpkins, cantaloupes, watermelons, blackberries, strawberries, pears, raspberries, select organic produce and more. 

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 164 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.