New sauces and salsas at Meijer benefit youth education

Aug 19

Grady’s Garden, a Grand Rapids company committed to improving the health and well-being of local youth, will now sell its salsas and pasta sauces at Meijer.

Starting August 15, Grady’s Garden Chunky and Marinara pasta sauces will be sold at 11 Meijer Supercenter locations in the Grand Rapids area. On September 1, the brand’s three popular salsa varieties – Mild, Medium and Hot – will also hit shelves at 264 Meijer locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“We’re not just bringing healthy, delicious products to Meijer—we’re bringing our mission into more classrooms,” said Mike Wheeler, Co-founder, Grady’s Garden. “Retail grocery expansion is about more than sales; it’s about deepening our impact on local children through education and hands-on experiences.”

At the heart of Grady’s Garden’s work is Grady’s Classroom™, a nonprofit that activates an educational curriculum at K-6 schools and afterschool programs to teach elementary-aged children about the importance of healthy eating and living active lifestyles by gardening. Through these programs, children learn how to grow their own vegetables, understand the value of nutrition, and develop lifelong healthy habits. Net proceeds from all food sales benefit Grady’s Classroom.

The educational curriculum is based on Grady’s Garden, an animation show that chronicles the lives of six kids who decide to build an urban garden. After watching Grady’s Garden, Episode 1: Let’s Plant a Salad, twice, students showed significant improvement in identifying vegetables. Their willingness to try these vegetables also rose, with romaine seeing the highest increase at 75%, followed by celery, collards, and onions.

“Thanks to the support of community-focused companies like Meijer, we’re able to extend our reach and positively impact more children,” Wheeler said. “Every jar sold helps fund these essential educational programs, making a tangible difference in the lives of local kids.”

The launch at Meijer will be celebrated with several in-store tasting demos and promotional events, providing an opportunity for the community to engage with Grady’s Garden’s mission firsthand. For more information about Grady’s Garden and its community initiatives, visit https://www.gradysgarden.com/.