Basil, Walmart and exclusivity — the local food movement gets complicated

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Locally grown carrots are touted in the produce section at Byerly's in St. Louis Park.

The aromas of hydroponic basil are wafting through a Baldwin, Wis., greenhouse this winter.

Walmart is making farmers pack lettuce into crates that can go directly into store displays with minimum processing and sorting.

Grocery stores are touting to consumers their farmer suppliers at the same time they push those suppliers to lock into exclusive agreements. Food producers are pushing back, asking for volume guarantees.

The local food movement, increasingly apparent to a broader spectrum of consumers, is getting complicated.

MPR News reporter Nancy Lebens is delivering Ground Level's latest exploration of this changing scene this afternoon on All Things Considered. I'll link to the audio when it's available but you can read an expanded version of that piece here.

And you can find a trove of local food information at our Ground Level topic page.

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