Buyer Network

Long-established retail florist in Erie, PA offering fresh flower delivery and custom arrangements for the Erie area.

Grower-owned hazelnut company that buys in-shell hazelnuts from its grower-members across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois and processes them at its facility in Gays Mills, WI.

Premier Northeast specialty produce distributor servicing restaurants, retail, and institutions throughout NY metro and the Mid-Atlantic. Carries seasonal specialty fruits including kiwi berries when available. Strong fit for Northeast kiwiberry growers seeking restaurant + boutique-retail channel; UNH SARE network growers in NY/NJ/PA are within Baldor service area.

Bulk maple syrup packer and equipment dealer in Alstead, NH, and the largest bulk buyer of maple syrup in the United States. Buys graded bulk syrup directly from producers by appointment, grading each lot on arrival and paying on the spot by check or equipment credit.

Farmer-owned fruit and vegetable marketing cooperative headquartered in Traverse City, MI, formed in 1973 by five Michigan growers. Provides centralized sales, marketing and processing for member farms across US and Canadian fruit-growing regions, including Ontario. Best known for Montmorency tart cherry juice and concentrate, IQF cherries, and Indian Summer apple products.

Michigan grower-owned cooperative marketing and processing fresh chestnuts for its member farms; primary regional aggregation point for Midwest chestnut production.

Multi-generation pecan grower, sheller, processor and distributor in south Georgia that also buys locally harvested pecans from other growers and from individuals at market prices.

One of the largest processors and exporters of pulses in the United States, operating grain elevators and pulse processing plants across the northern tier. Takes in dry peas, lentils and chickpeas from more than 150 producers in northeastern Montana and North Dakota.

Vermont specialty cidery known for heirloom apple and unusual fruit ciders. Plausible value-added processor for Grade B/C kiwiberries (off-grade, sooty-blotch, or undersized fruit) that fall out of the fresh-pack stream. UNH grade-out is ~40% of total harvest, making this stream meaningful.

Farmer-owned vegetable and fruit marketing cooperative in Eden, Erie County NY, bringing together local family farms in Western New York for collective packing, marketing and wholesale distribution. Operating for over 50 years.

National specialty produce distributor founded in 1962. Explicitly carries kiwi berries with documented seasonality: US fall (Sept-Oct), Southern Hemisphere imports Feb-Apr (NZ/Chile). Hand-picked sourcing model. Established channel for Northeast growers to reach national specialty grocery shelves.

Farmer-owned dry bean cleaner and processor in Caledonia, NY, handling conventional and certified-organic dry beans; offers forward contracts for dry bean seed and works with local growers.

Mission-driven aggregator and distributor operated by the nonprofit GrowNYC. Sources fresh produce from small and mid-sized farms in New York, the tri-state area and along the Eastern seaboard, and distributes to institutions, schools, restaurants, grocers and food pantries across New York City. Solves last-mile distribution for farms too small to serve NYC buyers directly.

Family-owned buyer and processor of wild American black walnuts, operating since 1946. Maintains a nationwide network of hulling stations where growers and gatherers deliver nuts in season.

Specialty oilseed processor in Carrington, ND doing cold-press expelling, milling and bottling. A licensed and bonded grain buyer that contracts with North Dakota farmers to grow flax, hemp and borage.

Floor malthouse in Germantown, NY malting locally grown barley, wheat and rye for regional brewers and distilleries committed to local ingredients.

Central Iowa aronia grower and processor producing aronia powder and juice; aggregates fruit from a network of area berry growers in addition to its own plantings.

36-year-old breeder-grower-packer-marketer of USDA Certified Organic fresh kiwi berries. Self-described as "the only Certified Organic Breeder-Grower-Packer-Marketer of fresh fruit Kiwi Berries." Markets the Passion Poppers Hi-Brix Hybrids series. Mid-Atlantic regional distribution. Potential aggregator/marketer for regional growers as they scale; also a research peer for benchmarking.

Stone gristmill in Skowhegan, ME milling organic and heritage grains. States it works directly with its farmers to build the regional grain market; suppliers pledge no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Buffalo, NY wholesale flower market and florist supplying bouquets and arrangements for all occasions, with seasonal and spring flower programs.

National specialty produce distributor. Carries kiwi berries with documented seasonality (Feb-Mar from NZ; Sept-Nov from US). Markets as bite-sized alternative to conventional kiwi. Sells in 6 oz and 4.4 oz packages. Represents the wholesale-to-retail-grocery channel for Northeast US fall production.

Mid-Atlantic family-owned organic grocery chain (~20 stores in MD, VA, DC, NJ, PA, DE). Buyer profile favors specialty and local producers and would be a high-fit retail outlet for USDA-organic Northeast kiwiberry growers.

Artisanal malthouse in the Finger Lakes region that sources exclusively New York State grown barley from partner farms.

Grower-owned cooperative that owns and operates Welch Foods. Purchases Concord and Niagara grapes from roughly 670 family farms across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Washington for processing into juice and fruit products. Headquartered in Westfield, in the heart of the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt.

Craft malthouse in Batavia, NY producing nearly 60 varieties of malted, roasted, smoked and flaked products. Works with New York and North American grown grains including barley, wheat, rye, corn and oats.

Established Buffalo, NY retail florist serving Erie County and parts of Niagara County with fresh arrangements, wedding, and event flowers.

Dedicated grain sorghum milling and food-ingredient processor in Scott City, KS. States a fully integrated supply chain sourcing sorghum directly from its own team of growers under customer contracts.

Nonprofit cooperative farmstand inside Reading Terminal Market featuring Pennsylvania-grown specialty produce. Documented seasonal outlet for Kiwi Korners (Danville, PA) kiwi berries. Direct-retail tier with high consumer education and willingness-to-pay.

Fargo-based specialty crop processor and food ingredient supplier. Contracts directly with growers across three regions for sunflower and other specialty oilseeds; supplies its own hybrid seed to contracted growers.

Missouri-based aggregator and processor of American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) from contracted Midwest growers; produces juice, syrup, and dried berries.

One of the largest fruit and vegetable processors in the US. Contracts with roughly 1,200 vegetable and fruit growers across New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois; operates a vegetable processing plant in Leicester, NY.

Full-service wholesale floral distributor (Sieck Floral Group) serving florists and mass merchants across Western New York and northwest Pennsylvania with daily deliveries of cut flowers, plants, and supplies.

100% farmer-owned agricultural and energy cooperative headquartered in Fremont, OH, in the Lake Erie basin. Operates 13 grain storage locations across Ohio holding just under 45 million bushels collectively, and buys corn, soybeans and wheat from member and non-member producers under a range of cash and deferred-price contracts.

Buckwheat miller in Penn Yan, NY, operating since 1797 and the largest supplier of buckwheat to US food markets. Contracts buckwheat acreage with growers across New York and the Northeast, supplying seed in spring and buying back the harvested grain at a price set before planting.

National specialty grocery chain. Documented seasonal carry of kiwi berries supplied through PA producer Kiwi Korners and West Coast packers. Highly centralized buying model — buyers are notoriously hard to access without volume to fill nationwide rollouts.

New England malthouse listed by Cornell Cooperative Extension as an active purchaser of regional grain for malting.

Hemp grain processor producing hemp heart protein and oil ingredients. Sources hemp grain exclusively from a North American grower network that includes family farms and larger managed operations.

Family-owned regional grocery chain (~110 stores across NY, PA, NJ, MD, VA, MA, NC). Strong specialty produce program with documented openness to local NY/PA growers. Reasonable potential buyer for Lake Erie and central-NY kiwiberry production; would require direct outreach to category buyer.

National natural and organic grocery chain (Amazon subsidiary). Documented seasonal carry of kiwi berries, supplied via Kiwi Korners (PA) and West Coast packers, plus Frieda's distribution. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regional buying offices are realistic entry points for new growers via the local-buyer programs.

100% grower-owned hop supplier representing family hop farms in the Pacific Northwest; processes and sells pellets, extracts, and specialty hop products worldwide.