Ball Food Stores
Right after World War I, Sydney and Mollie Ball opened
their first grocery store. During that era, customers
paid monthly for their groceries and Mollie kept the
books. She also visited family farms, farmers’ markets
and truck gardens to bring farm-fresh foods to their
growing grocery store. Over the years, the Balls
pioneered numerous innovations in the grocery business
and their grandson, David Ball, President and COO of
Balls Foods, continues in their footsteps.
David has introduced the only line of all natural, local
foods in a group of grocery stores in Kansas City. His
foresight has enabled
 more
and more local producers to bring their products to the
urban marketplace. David explains that he identifies
with the struggles of local companies to survive and
finds this partnership upholds the Balls’ values of
supporting the entrepreneurial family farmers and the
overall health of the local economy.
In
2004, the Buy Fresh, Buy Local celebration came
to Hen House Markets. These promotions offered a way to
let customers taste farm-fresh foods, meet local chefs
who cook with local foods and visit with the farmers who
grow local foods.
At
Good Natured Family Farms, we are grateful for the
support we have received from Balls’ Foods. Without the
partnership of supermarkets in urban areas, the
distribution of local foods from small family farms
would be impossible. Continued support by customers has
shown that local foods can have a place in the abundance
of foods from corporate producers. Thanks to everyone
who makes this collaboration possible.
Balls’ Foods
owns and operates 13 Hen House Markets and 15 Price
Choppers.
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