How Today’s Harvest and Retail Rescue Support East Metro Neighbors

Today’s Harvest is a food shelf with a unique approach.

Operating like a traditional market, the Second Harvest Heartland partner’s two locations in Maplewood and Oakdale are open regular hours Monday through Saturday, and they invite neighbors to visit as often as they need.

This model of nearly daily food distributions is made possible by Retail Rescue—or the process of teaming up with local grocery stores and food retailers to divert safe, edible food away from landfills and onto kitchen tables in households that need support.

One of the Today’s Harvest markets. Photo credit: Dan Nyberg, Electric Picture Company

Today’s Harvest has strong relationships with grocers in their area and specifically built their model to make use of the Retail Rescue food supply. Every single day, shoppers are able to choose from a wide variety of produce, plus bakery, dairy, protein, ready-to-eat, and shelf stable options.

“Retail Rescue allows us to offer beautiful, fresh food and gives shoppers a choice among products," says Today's Harvest Strategic Partnerships and Projects Director April Rog. "Our high-access, low-barrier model means our doors are open wide—no appointments, no intake process, just a welcoming space where anyone can come when it works for them. That kind of accessibility is optimal for Retail Rescue because it enables highly perishable food to find its way to people ready to enjoy it the same day it arrives. We're not just filling a need. We're closing a gap in the food system, connecting a supply that moves best in small, same-day quantities with a community that's ready to receive it.”

Today’s Harvest picks up retail rescue every day they are open.

At its core, Retail Rescue is built on local partnerships and provides local impact. Retailers are not just food donors, they are partners in the planning, preparation, and problem solving around food delivery and distribution. Minnesota grocery chains like Jerry’s, Kowalski’s, Lund’s & Byerly’s, and Cub have influenced how Today’s Harvest makes their space welcoming to neighbors and turns a food shelf visit into what feels like a trip to any regular supermarket.

“Retailers have not only given us this food, but we’ve learned the best ways to distribute it from them,” says April. “We make the space look fresh, full, and abundant. Retail partners have donated fixtures for our market and the skills we’ve learned from them as we’ve gotten more sophisticated in our distributions are expanding our ability to serve neighbors.”

Neighbors enjoy shopping in the friendly, clean space created by Today’s Harvest.

Today’s Harvest provides fresh food to thousands of neighbors in the East Metro, with over 6,000 shopping visits to its markets each week. In March, 1,200+ shoppers visited one of their two markets each weekday.

“We’re making a significant impact on food systems,” says April. “Our model really works because we understand the value of Retail Rescue food and shifted our operations to optimize its use.”