Small Bites
April 21, 2022
creating opportunities to promote
& sell more VT products to more buyers
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As a reader of Small Bites, you know our wheelhouse is connecting food manufacturing, distribution, stores, & farmstands. We also find ways to weave in several resources. Overall, we know that each of our businesses supports a piece of the supply chain. Because we hear from you directly, we know how integrated stores are to their communities.
Monument Farms Dairy in Weybridge, did a fabulous job touring stores celebrating & paying tribute to Vermont communities. A recent video from the family-owned dairy showcases local stores, customers, & store owners on the values of what happens when people join together to tell a story that reflects values. If you have not yet seen it, please watch it here; it will make you smile! It is full of many Vermont truths.
In addition to fresh rBST free milk from their herd, their trucks hit the road carrying their products, along with other select refrigerated goods. Monument Farm participates in the Cow Power renewable energy program of GMP & are members of VT Fresh Network. As a part of the agriculture fabric of Addison County for generations, they know that the multiplier effect is important for the economy, but they thrive on the emotional connections. Between their workers, the cows, each of the stores & they make long lasting connections. Their video is a tribute to all the "hearts of community".
Speaking of community & the power of local stores....
Congratulations to Buxton's Store in Orwell the first place peoples choice AND winner of the 9th Annual Chili Festival held in Middlebury. The competition is fierce & so was the winning recipe! Not a surprise really, the market is well known for their robust prepared meals.
Cheers for the glory of Spring & the celebrations of community connecting. We cannot overlook the beautiful local bouquets rounding out Spring holiday family celebrations. Talking Well Farm in Post Mills stocked stores with gorgeous flowers grown in the woodfired greenhouse. Lilies & tulips were a fragrant & colorful addition to all the homes they went to. Since the mid 1980's the farm has sold wholesale specialty bulbs & stem cut flowers for resale at area stores. Sold primarily through direct to store delivery they connect personally with buyers cultivating long relationships. Dan & Whit's & the Coop Market (a member of the Hanover-Lebanon family of coops) both have strong demand for the fresh cut flowers & seasonal potted bulbs from the long-established farm. Helping gain access to stores out of their distribution range, Myers Produce picks up on the farm & delivers to select stores on their route.
Read on for lots of great info on stores, products, resources & getting products to market.
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B2B Sharing Systems
There is nothing quite like a good Spring road trip! Especially one geared to a review of store operations & systems.
Last week, on a nice Vermont April day a tour of four Upper Valley coops was arranged by Farm to Plate. With a keen eye out for operations centered around receiving, POS, produce storage, & merchandising the day was nothing short of a success. Managers from each store provided fantastic information & seeing various stores in one day made for a veritable thrill ride. A big, BIG shout out to the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry, The Upper Valley Food Coop & the Hanover Co-op Food Stores of NH & VT.
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POS overview at the Upper Valley Coop with the team from Brownville Butcher & Pantry
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Commodities Natural Market in Stowe continues to crank out the sales of Vermont products. Always, super busy in the winter, their summer sales are nothing to disparage.
They have a clear vision of their customers & purchase products to fit the demographic. Our tourist towns produce strong sales of artisan products from all categories. By utilizing several distributors & buy purchasing direct from local vendors they have a full inventory of products that also align with everyday needs of locals.
"If you’ve enjoyed any of our Jasper Hill Cellars cheese, bagged greens, or dried mango slices, Ellen most likely packed it!! Here at Commodities, we could not ask for a more dependable, friendly, or genuine person to work with. Thank you, Ellen!"
April might be a slower time for many stores, but it provides opportunity to plan ahead for the summer adventuring season. Whether it is for goodies to hike Mt Mansfield or for drifting along in a kayak, Commodities has everything including VT made health & wellness products to soothe the skin or keep bugs away. If you have any questions -about products or good local stuff to do- just ask Ellen!
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Staffing: Oh the Challenges
resettlement programs. Area farms have also had success hiring refugees to meet seasonal needs with great results year after year.
Meanwhile the newly forming Bennington Community Market seeks staff for its Summer 2022 opening. It is a community-supported grocery store that supports local farmers and makes healthy food accessible to everyone.
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Beverage Cooler News!
Newly rebranded Shrubbly is ready for stocking! Upgrade your beverage cooler with this growing Vermont beverage company. Each flavor is made with pressed fruit, herbs/spices & apple cider vinegar which adds a crisp flavor profile to sparkling water.
The vibrant new packaging will pop, along with sales as "alternative" drinks are on trend across the country. Available across the state through several options including Pumpkin Village Foods & Farrell.
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Also, for filling the beverage cooler, choose Green
it as V2V business! A family owned & operated coconut farm &
processing facility distributes through extended family members in Vermont.
"Our coconut water is made from raw, fresh coconuts on the day they are harvested. This process gives our product its great sweet taste. Our delicious drink is all-natural and never made from concentrate."
Currently all products are shipped to stores through their own direct to store delivery routes. From Healthy Living Market to Brattleboro Coop, sales are strong at stores of all sizes serving the natural foods shopper as well as anyone looking for a non-sugar refreshing drink.
We encourage stores to contact Kim for delivery route details or follow them on FB for regular updates. Green Valley LLC seeks to expand distribution & fill their routes.
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Their 11 Brothers, Tres Bonne & Petite White Diamond cheese now have a cute goat! More of their labels are going under a renovation through the springs; stay tuned for more of the fresh new look. Be sure to display prominently with the labels facing the shopper.
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Community Connections:
From Patrick at Woodstock Farmers Market
"Happy Easter and Passover! I felt compelled during this holiday season to give all of you an update on Mark Kovach on the Ukrainian border in Poland. Our current campaign supports the work my old friend Mark is doing on the Ukraine border. We've already raised in one & a half weeks of Round Up at our registers over $4,400 for World Central Kitchen. Our Cashier Manager, says it's one of the quickest to $4,000 ever. I am humbled by your generosity. But this part takes the cake: Mark reported that you raised over $10,000 in 2 hours upon sending our email last week. He is using those dollars directly helping the thousands of families at the border."
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Through CAE freight service Farm Connex deliveries are made to food stores around the state. In the picture below, they are dropping off products at the Upper Valley Food Coop in White River Junction.
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merchandised in the stores of the Upper Valley. By showcasing the Real
Organic Label stores are promoting the values of family farms, soil health & great taste. Both the LWF & the ROP labels are showcased in this display & throughout the northeast.
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The team at AGNE affiliate store Sterling Market in Johnson fine tuning display, pricing, & signage
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Distributor as Retailer
AGNE is a large regional cooperative distributor servicing New England. Not only do they make national products available to stores, but they also help get Vermont products to stores across the region.
Unique to this NE distributor is that they also own several stores across the state from Newport to Londonderry. Their village stores purchase products direct from vendors & our local distributors, such as Lesser Distribution based out of Waitsfield. The stores of course carry the full line of products from AGNE along with natural products from KeHe available to their store accounts.
The Vermont stores are all full-service with a wide range of products & price ranges with each one tailored to its customer base. AGNE purchases direct from within each stores' community, uses local independent distributors, & they also sell local products to all the NE states through wholesale distribution.
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Allen Brothers Farm Store along Route 5 just off Route 91 in Westminster is a full-service store, full stop. It is the go-to for everything. Since 1956, it has been known for its friendly staff & community connections. They, like all stores, are tending to the supply side challenges that seem to change weekly. Communicating the gaps with customers is hard. Informing shoppers that their favorite food is impossible to access is one of the challenges. They know that the "fan favorites" are reasons folks stop in the first place. Substitute products are not always as warmly received. It's the pandemic supply chain issues 2.0.
Not only are they the go-to for all things food, beer & wine, but they also have their own greenhouse & farm operation. This unique model keeps them serving customers with everything from their own greenhouse grown winter greens to bedding plants. Right now, they are super busy transitioning the greenhouses prepping for the usual Mother's Day bonanza of hanging baskets, garden plants & of course cut flowers & wine & cards.
When heading down 91, get off at exit 5 & go north for 100 feet to Allen Brothers for a truly Vermont store. Friendly service, loads of VT products, prepared foods, & of course the greenhouse operation, are all reasons to stop.
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Farmer Retail News & Stuff
Duchess Farm in Castleton is one of our many farms selling through
multiple outlets: DSD to stores including the Rutland Coop, local farmers markets, CSA with on farm pick up option, & even online orders which includes many VT product add-ons. Long known for their quality produce, shoppers find their Spring greens refreshing & cleansing.
And a great news story from VT Digger about the Robb Farm in Brattleboro. Once a thriving multi-generation dairy farm they shifted their operation from cows to maple, beef, & hay. With a more direct to consumer focus with their maple, the pandemic helped steer them in yet a new venture, farm hosting. So many folks took to RVs in the summer of 2020, leading Robb Farm to join Harvest Hosts engaging with travelers. Each visitor spent money & the farm gained a completely new set of future shoppers for their on-line store.
Robb Farm continues to creatively engage with folks on the farm, online, & through various connections of those who have purchased their maple, beef, or hay.
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Through support from VHCB business assistance for farmers in conjunction with NOFA, Roberta at J & R Family Farm in Troy did the ultimate Spring clean & farmstand reset. She took on the project with all the gusto of a hardworking farmer in April & came up with some fabulous changes. After a few good hours strategizing & executing new ideas, she has good reason to smile!
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Great news from Full Belly Farm in Monkton. Lucky for them the greenhouse happens to be a very pleasant place to hang out with a little baby, because that’s where all the action is right now. Adrian is growing like a weed & getting his first glimpses of the farm from Mamas’ arms. FBF continues to value the Vermont farming community's support at the time of Adrian's birth. Cultivating good people & good food is what we do here in our corner of the world.
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It Takes a Village: Links to our
Farm & Food Partners
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Gearing Up for Farm Retail Licenses
VAAFM is responsible for licensing a variety of items found in retail stores & farmstands you might not connect with agriculture. There are many retailers not aware of the requirement to license in order to sell or use certain devices. Take some time & check out the Agency's Library for details.
Regarding Creemees & Frozen Dessert: The Agency licenses all creemee machines as well as companies making gelato, ice cream & other frozen desserts such as cheese cake & ice cream sandwiches. Inspection includes adherence to food safety protocols & proper handling of ingredients. Find some of the details here.
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Congratulations to Buxton's Store! Whoo hooo for taking home the coveted 2022 Chili Trophy. The competition was tough, yet the store came through!
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Small Bites comes to you via USDA & High Meadows grants. Content is created for farmers, food manufacturers, distributors, grocers to increase VT food sales
Contact: Annie H Harlow
smallbites802@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, photo credits are from company social media, websites or Annie Harlow
All info is subject to change; thank you to all the who contributed to this issue!
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