BELLE — Ticks are creating more than just an inconvenience for many Missourians. They are also changing the way some families shop for food and other common household products, and Highway 42 Produce owner Alice Kennedy hopes her Belle business can become a trusted resource for those living with Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS).

AGS is an allergic condition most commonly associated with bites from the lone star tick, which is found throughout Missouri. AGS can cause allergic reactions several hours after eating mammalian meat such as beef, pork or lamb. Depending on the individual, reactions may also be triggered by mammal-derived ingredients found in certain processed foods, medications and even some household and personal care products, making everyday shopping and meal planning considerably more challenging.

Kennedy, who is in her third season operating Highway 42 Produce, said she has begun intentionally expanding her inventory with Alpha-gal-safe products after seeing firsthand the challenges the condition creates. Her husband has a severe case of AGS, which has given her plenty of experience researching safe foods and hidden ingredients that can trigger reactions.

“I have done so much research on it that I can take you to the grocery store and I can tell you this bread, that bread, not that one. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. This is good. Don’t touch that,” Kennedy said. “You know, I’m very knowledgeable on my Alpha-gal. I’m still learning, and I will continue to learn till the day I die.”

Her recently added seafood selection, including crab legs, catfish nuggets, lobster tails and shrimp, is completely Alpha-gal safe. She also now carries whole farm-to-table chicken that contains no carrageenan, preservatives or added hormones.

“They can grab my chicken up there. It was running around Monday morning. Monday afternoon, it was placed in my cooler,” she said. “No antibiotics, no additives, no nothing. It’s 100 percent safe.”

Looking ahead, Kennedy and her husband want to make shopping even easier by color-coding products throughout the store. Green labels would identify foods that are considered 100 percent Alpha-gal safe, yellow would identify products that may be tolerated depending on an individual’s sensitivity and red would mark products people with Alpha-gal should avoid.

“I want people to walk in here and know what they can and can’t have with the Alpha-gal,” she said.

She also hopes to eventually host monthly support meetings for people living with the condition.

“There are a lot of elderly that are getting Alpha-gal,” Kennedy said. “I have one little lady that I work very closely with because she doesn’t know what she can and can’t eat.”

Kennedy wants customers to have confidence when purchasing meat from her store. She said she will not carry beef or pork, instead focusing on products she knows are safe for those with Alpha-gal. She is also exploring additional meat alternatives, including bratwurst-style products made without beef, pork or animal casings.

Her family’s own experiences have shaped that personal mission.

Kennedy recalled stopping at Walmart in Owensville to buy a rotisserie chicken in hopes of enjoying what she described as a normal family meal. After reading the ingredients, however, she discovered it contained carrageenan, rosemary extract and cayenne pepper, ingredients she said can trigger reactions in people with AGS.

She then drove back to Belle and stopped at Mace, where she learned the store’s fried chicken was cooked in soy oil, which is generally considered safe for people with AGS. However, after asking additional questions, she was told the same fryer was also used to prepare beef fritters.

“Well, now you’ve contaminated the grease, so Alpha-gal sufferers cannot have that. You’ll have a reaction,” Kennedy said.

The experience forced her to face how difficult everyday grocery shopping can be for families living with the condition.

“There was no normalcy for us,” she said.

Because of those experiences, Kennedy said she wants customers to be able to shop without wondering whether a product is safe.

“That’s why we want to provide things where people can walk in and they don’t have to question it,” she said.

She has even developed an Alpha-gal-safe ranch dressing recipe, which she said she is willing to share with anyone who wants it.

While expanding Alpha-gal offerings is one of her newest goals, Kennedy said the store itself has grown considerably since opening three years ago.

She started Highway 42 Produce with nothing more than a table in her front yard after previously selling farm-fresh produce in Tennessee. Following the closure of the veterinary practice where she worked as a surgery technician after moving to Missouri, she decided to give the produce business another try by selling strawberries from her driveway.

Today, Highway 42 Produce carries a large selection of produce, Amish-made canned goods, cheeses, summer sausages, specialty jams, pasta, seafood and locally sourced chicken. Kennedy said there are still additional products she is preparing to introduce.

Most of her produce comes from an Amish auction and from farmers she knows personally who avoid chemicals and pesticides. Additional fruits are sourced through produce warehouses, including St. Louis Produce Row and Proffer Produce. Her canned goods come from an Amish-operated commercial cannery in the Tipton area that uses minimal preservatives and additives.

“I like to eat clean and I like to eat healthy,” Kennedy said. “I like to stay as local as I can, or at least stateside.”

That commitment to fresh, locally sourced food has earned Highway 42 Produce a loyal following. While Kennedy was being interviewed, customer Cliff Ridenhour stopped in to shop and said Highway 42 Produce has become his first stop when buying groceries.

“I’m here every day almost,” Ridenhour said. “I check here first if she’s open, because even if she’s the same or a little bit higher, it’s farm stuff.”

Ridenhour said he believes the community has benefited from having a locally owned produce market.

“It’s something this place needed for a long time,” he said.

He added that shopping at Highway 42 Produce has become an alternative to maintaining his own garden.

“It’s just like stuff from the garden,” Ridenhour said. “It’s like I don’t have to have a garden this year. It’s right here.”

Business has continued to grow each season.

She sells about 100 watermelons and roughly 90 to 95 cantaloupes each week during the height of the season, along with approximately 18 flats of tomatoes weighing 15 pounds each. During the week of the interview alone, she had already sold 13 flats of blackberries, 14 boxes of tomatoes weighing 25 pounds each and nine bags of sweet corn containing five dozen ears per bag.

Many customers have been grateful to find fresh produce after gardens struggled with heavy rains or were never planted this year.

“I have a lot of people who are just now finding me, and are just like, ‘Oh my God, I cannot believe you’re here,’” Kennedy said. “I wasn’t able to put in a garden this year.”

The business has grown enough that Kennedy hopes to remain open year-round for the first time. She recently installed heating and air conditioning in the building and said continued community support will determine whether she can eliminate her traditional winter shutdown.

“The support and the customers through the door has probably tripled this year,” she said. “ As long as the number of people through the door keeps growing, I will keep growing and providing whatever the community needs.”

Kennedy mentioned expansion into additional communities has been discussed, including setting up in Bland after local officials recently expressed interest. However, finding dependable help remains the biggest obstacle. She previously operated a stand in Vienna and enjoys participating in local events because they allow customers to put a face with the business.

“It’s a way of getting my name out,” she said.

The store has also expanded beyond produce. Kennedy grows a multitude of garden starts each spring, hanging baskets, tropical plants and is currently raising about 400 mums for fall, along with cockscombs, zinnias, pumpkins and gourds.

Customers can pay with cash, credit cards or tap-to-pay, though card transactions include a small processing fee. Kennedy also welcomes donations of plastic grocery bags, saying they help reduce operating costs and keep prices affordable.

Highway 42 Produce is located at 21560 Highway 42 in Belle, at the former Gene Kotwitz home. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Kennedy encourages anyone with questions about Alpha-gal, healthy eating or the products she carries to stop by and ask.

“If people just come in and talk to me,” she said, “you might be surprised at what I have or what I can do.”