Melody Anderson: Produce Feeds Body and Soul

September 2, 2025 | 2 min to read

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In their early 20s, the co-owner of Monday for Wednesday developed a passion for produce as a means to explore food politics and promote excitement about vegetables. Their dedication to community-building shines through mutual aid donations and the satisfaction of chefs when the right produce aligns with their visions. This work fosters transparency in the supply chain, helping others make informed, ethical choices. Ultimately, their venture embodies a commitment to local sourcing, food justice, and cultural appreciation.

Co-Owner
Monday for Wednesday

I got interested in produce in my early 20s, when I started learning more about food politics and distribution systems. As a vegan, I saw how important it is to help people get excited about vegetables — not just as an alternative to animal proteins, but as something worth celebrating on their own. Over time, I realized that produce is one of the clearest entry points for understanding global politics, culture and power. Through my sourcing work and community-building efforts, I’ve found that sharing produce and learning about the people and practices behind it is what keeps me grounded.

I’m not sure you ever get a single moment that confirms your work is making a difference — but donating produce to mutual aid programs and seeing it land in the right hands feels meaningful. It’s especially gratifying to see the relief on the faces of organizers when they get the support they need.

It’s also really rewarding when chefs “land” a dish they’ve been visualizing for weeks — when the right produce shows up at the right time, and it all clicks. Being part of that process, even behind the scenes, feels good.

Transparency is one of the most exciting parts of this work — being able to offer context and insight that helps chefs and restaurants make smarter, more ethical decisions. A lot of folks don’t always have visibility into how the supply chain works. Helping people understand how to buy feels like a valuable piece of the puzzle.

Learning about new vegetables — and tasting them — brings me real joy. It’s a two-way experience: sharing something like a Mamey apple with someone who’s never had it can be powerful, but I also get to be transported in the process. I love digging into how different ingredients are used in specific cultural contexts. Produce carries memory, technique, and identity all in one.

My partner Aja and I co-founded Monday for Wednesday, and the business itself is the result of our overlapping passions — passion for local sourcing, food justice, creativity, and care.