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Current data is out, as of mid-May 2026, U.S. grocery prices have experienced a sharp increase, with food-at-home costs rising 0.7% in April 2026- the highest monthly jump since 2022. Grocery prices are up 2.9% annually, driven by surging fuel costs, import tariffs, & global supply chain pressures.

Tariffs & war related gas & diesel prices have increased the prices across the supply chain directly leading to higher grocery prices. The prices are expected to continue to rise impacting producers upstream. The latest Consumer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed grocery bills spiked at the fastest monthly pace in nearly four years with a 0.7% increase in food-at-home prices for April and a 2.9% increase over the last 12 months.

Beef prices are projected to rise significantly (up to 6.3% - 9.4% in some projections), while sugar & sweets are up over 8%. Fresh fruits & vegetables increased by approximately 1.7%.

Across the middle of the supply chain belts are going to tighten as much as possible. That may not be enough for some companies to survive. Businesses in the food sector regularly open & close, but what may stand out now are the underlying causes: limited access to capital, ongoing uncertainty, & the challenge of managing a difficult path from production through distribution, to retail. Some businesses pause or shut down for personal reasons, such as caring for aging family members or welcoming a new child. Others struggle with the heavy demands of growth, including compliance requirements & costly, complex production & distribution variables.

Recirculate Collective provides 0% interest loans through a partnership with nonprofits & impact-focused companies to create new models for economy solutions that strengthen communities. It supports businesses advancing circular & regenerative approaches by bringing people together to pool capital through shared learning. The goal is to connect needs with collective resources & expertise to create meaningful, real-world impact as challenges mount. If this approach to reducing extractive economic models resonates with you, check them out.

Now read on for the good local stuff.

Allen Brothers

From Apples to Arugula

In 1956, following their dream to produce the finest apple crop in New England, four Allen brothers purchased an orchard on a southern Vermont hillside in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. For 70 years, Allen Brothers continue to follow an agricultural tradition by growing their own produce & plants for their farmstand & garden center.

Their farm, garden center, & retail store continues to thrive with fresh for the field crops, including arugula & spinach sold in an easy to access cooler near the registers. Grab & go at its best!

For several years they have partnered with local school programs to support fundraising efforts. Each Spring (and Fall) they grow thousands of hanging baskets, geraniums, & mums that the schools resell in their local communities. They proudly donate all their time & delivery fees to support the success of these annual fundraisers. The store serves the community with their wide selection (& generous portions) of freshly made homemade meals, delicious pies, fresh produce, & everything else they offer. Congratulations on 70 years years adapting to the changing times. 

Story Time at Bennington Community Market

Here is a first for the community minded store! In the center of historic Bennington, “Our American Story” Airstream made a stop as part of a year-long, 60- state cross-country journey collecting recorded interviews from communities across the United States. The mobile storytelling initiative was parked outside Bennington Community Market.

Community members participated by sharing their personal stories. Stories were facilitated by trained staff using curated prompts focused on identity, service, community & personal legacy. They were recorded & archived, with a portion preserved by the Library of Congress as part of the national historical record. Read more

After yarning out their tales, folks then came inside chatting up their experiences.

85 & Counting!

Putney Coop began in 1941, when World War II fuel shortages made some groceries hard to get. Money from member shares helped rent a storefront, buy goods, & hire staff. The original store was purchased in 1944 & moved to the current location on Route 5 in 1992.

Its mission is to support local farmers, producers, & the wider community. It partners with local organizations working on food access & healthy eating, including the Putney Food Shelf, Vermont Food Bank, & Project Feed the Thousands. As a community-owned market they offer a wide range of products with friendly, knowledgeable service. A June celebration is being finalized to celebrate the 85-year milestone. 

Spring Buzz at VSFA Expo

It has been a while since the Capital Plaza has had so much food buzz.

On May 4th, the venue hosted a vibrant specialty food trade show, bringing together vendors to connect with distributors, store buyers, & food business advisers. The event was a project of the VSFA supporting business expand wholesales accounts, launch new products & strengthen existing partnerships.

The show floor was packed with professionally polished 'trade show' booths showcasing the best of Vermont specialty food makers & shakers. The conversations were stimulating as products were pitched & buyers introduced their stores.

Some vendors were solo- or small-scale operations gaining visibility for their emerging brands. Also attending were well-established Vermont legacy brands including Olivia’s Croutons, Nut Free Chocolates, & Butterfly Bakery. 

Gathering & Pondering

For those involved in the food world, creativity is a constant companion. It influences everything—from the way products taste to how they are displayed. Visual appeal, packaging, & unique ideas drive innovation setting brands apart. We are in a sense ‘visual adventurers’. That is why Vermont products’ flavors, marketing, & displays lead to success.

Recent gatherings organized by the Vermont Cheese Council & VSFA highlighted the many facets of creativity in the food sector. These events featured storytelling, distributor engagement, & buyer relationship-building, all contributing to a vibrant & innovative atmosphere.

We learn from each other fostering imagination & originality to bring products to store shelves, including in-store displays to encourage sales. When we find ourselves simply as ‘shopper’, we can ponder the wealth of creativity across the spectrum that bring products to market. We know that in Vermont we have a shared interest in helping promote success across all product categories literally from farms to plates. Cheers for all the Spring trainings that have been organized!

What We Like- Not So Random Retail Things

Keeping handbaskets easily accessible helps the customer, as much as it helps your store meet sales & margin goals. Healthy Living makes grab & go super easy with hand baskets placed strategically around the store. (do this at farmstands too!)

Paprika Empanadas has launched its retail pack & is actively building awareness through local events. The brand recently participated in both the VSFA Expo & The Local Partnership meet-ups, helping introduce the new retail packs to a wider audience.

These public appearances increase visibility providing potential customers an opportunity to sample. Tastings at the Expo, help build confidence in the brand by showcasing the quality & flavor of the empanadas. And that is why we like (plus they are damn good!)

Meadow Market, a neighborhood grocery store in Montpelier serves a diverse customer base. It offers a wide range of products, with a particular emphasis on Asian foods & cultural specialties. Farm fresh produce is delivered in season from local farms including Ananda Gardens, Khelcom Farm, & Gorhamtown Farm Korean Kitchen. What is not to love!

In the heart of Burlington’s Old North End is Momo’s Market. The unique corner store sits at the crossroads of student housing & local residences.

Their unique customer base requires a high level of continued analysis to best meet their customers. Pricing is paramount, but so is expressing commitments to their greater community. That commitment is reflected in small but important ways. For example, the store’s T-shirts help raise funds for Migrant Justice. Momo’s also stands out for its positive, can-do attitude & its willingness to learn, collaborate, & share knowledge to support vendors, other stores, & customers. Yes to this!

Free Verse Farm came to the Expos tradeshow ready to make sales. The 'spec sheet' or 'sell sheet' help synthesize information for future buyers. Generally sheets are high quality with a concise product description with UPC codes, unit & case pack size weight & dimensions, shipping & logistics info. Check out Alli Ball Consulting for more spec sheet info.

Meet the Meat

Vermont Salumi is a premier producer of charcuterie salumi & sausage sold to retail stores. The recipes are simple blends of high-quality meat & spices paired with traditional curing methods creating the perfect balance of flavor & texture.

Products are available in NE though Provisions International, Marty's Local, Myers, Black River Produce, & online through Faire. To establish a wholesale relationship contact VT Salumi directly

Flavor Savor: Keeping it Real

Witchcat Farm in Bakersfield is a legacy organic grower of premium garlic. Their history is rich in producing high quality garlic for retail & providing 'seed garlic' sold wholesale to growers. As members of Real Organic Project they represent the values of family farms holding true to a deep commitment to the land & adapting to market conditions.

Over their long career as growers, they have scaled back a bit due to many factors including climate change impacts of heavy summer rain, aging, & efficiencies of scale in production & distribution. Black garlic, garlic powder, garlic-scapes & fresh garlic are sent to market via DSD on a short distribution route or shipped direct.

The farm's relationships lasting nearly 30 years contributes to their success. Over the years, their business model changed yet relationships have held true. Hunger Mountain Coop & Farmers to You continue to sell the garlic. The farm welcomes new wholesale accounts of their powder & black garlic.

Unpacking Co-Packing

Growing food or beverage businesses is not easy. There is much to consider, with outcomes fraught with challenges on the way to success (however it may be defined).

Often a brand is growing its sales yet challenged by production limitations to meet expectations. Traction may be gained, but there can be production gaps. This can mean delays or inconsistency showing up on shelves, trust is broken, & buyers might lose confidence dropping the brand.

When realizing you cannot keep up, co-packing becomes one of the potential solutions. However, this introduces new aspects of the learning curve where the relationship becomes a critical extension of your business, & potential for success. Both sides of the co-packing relationship is strengthened by clear communication to meet expectations. Depending on your product a suitable co-production partner may not be available locally.

Co-packing goes well beyond capitalization or distribution. Because a co-packer operates in the middle of the supply chain, their processes & constraints quickly become part of how your brand shows up in the market. You are also entering a 'new relationship' that becomes embedded in your success. Knowing what you are agreeing to matters. Depending on your products, co-packers may not be easily accessed, with some brands leaving Vermont for production.

We Can Can Can, Yes We Can

Food hubs do not always function as strong stand alone the businesses, especially when the pressure to maximize revenue overrides other goals. Through their vendor relationships, ACORN helps producers identify & source ingredients. This is true for Savoure, who has sought out fresh local rhubarb for their artisan sodas & seltzers.

In Vermont, many small-business owners effectively hold multiple jobs at once to make ends meet. It is common for farmers & food entrepreneurs to rely on several income streams rather than a single line of business, which reflects both resilience & harsh economic necessity.

If agriculture is treated as part of the state’s economic development strategy, there may be a strong case for more visible public support. Underused space could be repurposed into an incubator-style hub combining production & distribution functions. Unique shared kitchen model demonstrates creative production spaces are valuable.

Through a can-do attitude, shared space can help cover overhead such as rent, reducing production costs while complying with state regulations. Tandem, a multi-use space in Bristol helps reduce the production pain points for small scale operations, including Savoure.

There is room for more creative problem-solving, especially if funding frameworks recognize food & drink as part of the "creative economy" in addition to the "agricultural economy".

Local Food in Practice

Farmers & chefs joined together at Tillerman's in Bristol as part of a a free event series. 'Shop talk' was all the rage with folks meeting in an informal gathering with insights from the chef on their mission & purchasing strategy.

Produced in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets the event was also attended by distributors & technical business advisers. Running to September 1, the series explores real-world connections for the restaurant market channel through farm tours, restaurant visits, industry meet-ups, & a live webinar. All events are FREE. Registration is required. For dates & details visit https://shorturl.at/nKq28 

Wheels on Fire

Diesel fuel prices are increasing due to the impacts of the Iran war. As farm fields are prepared for planting, manure is spread, & tractors operate continuously to lay down weed barriers, these integral petroleum-based farming activities will continue to be monitored for the highest level of efficiency. There are many data sets covering the increase in diesel, For instance there is this site posting prices & fluctuations. In January 2026 the price on average was $3.533 by April it was $5.501. (The VT Agency of Transportation keeps a historical record of fuel price adjustment, however it is not current).

Ultimately, the rising price of diesel is only one of the many unstable inputs on farms this year. The increased cost will affect the price to consumers with distribution cost increases too.

Farmer as Retailer

Spring Into Action

Mother’s Day has come & gone. For greenhouse operations with spring bedding plants, that usually means strong sales. Depending on the region, the weather may have been ideal—or a little less cooperative—but in Vermont, the season is officially underway & farmstands are open.

Right now, we’re seeing Hakurei turnips, radishes, lettuces, & all sorts of greens including overwintered spinach (arguably the best of the season). We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention fresh local milk from cows newly out to pasture!

Building a loyal, returning customer base takes intention. For some farms, it can help to delegate this work to retail staff, if the messaging stays clear & reflects the farm’s voice. A simple “This Week at the Farm Store” update, shared by email or on social media, can be an effective way to create interest. It is also helpful to preview what will be available soon, so customers know what to look forward to.

“This week we’ll have spinach, lettuce mix, radishes, Hakurei salad turnips, bok choy, Lacinato kale, collards, & chard.” - Mighty Food Farm

Another useful strategy for stores with staff is to highlight which products are available for sampling. Be sure to ask your suppliers for samples—producers often have marketing & promotion budgets that can help cover this expense.

Samples at Might Food:

The Goat Project chèvre, South River Miso, Pitchfork Pickles, Grafton cheddar, & hummus.

What We Like

All boxes should be off the floor in both your backroom & in all retail food operations. Well done Foote Brook Farm!

Day Trippers

Every farmstand-no matter where it is located- ends up with customers who are out adventuring. Day trippers pop in for the farmstand experience. They love treats to snack on their way to hiking, boating, or cruising.

Our makers & shakers create 'adventure food munchies' perfect for sale at farmstands. Battenkill Wholesome is one such company with strong sales with their gluten free, mostly organic, & low-sugar treats. Their point of sale display sits on a counter & was one of the products showcased at the VSFA Expo. Products are available to stores in New England.

Garuka has suite of "summer flavors" available as the Summertime Sampler. As the days get longer, the hikes get longer, all the more reason to stock Acai Coconut & Blueberry Lime Pistachio in addition to the standard go-to Garuka. Wholesale accounts are welcome & you can order through Pumpkin Village Foods!

Farm Stand Resources

UVM has a useful document that can be used like a review or checklist based on a SWOT structure. Take a look-see if you are working on a new farmstand. This can help with risk management, business structure planning, food safety, quality control & so much more.

VAAFM has useful farmstand leads that are helpful including retail licenses & regulations

Cornell also has a suite of farmstand resources although relevant to NY, much is applicable to other locations.

Good Stuff

Fruit & veg growers have access to a huge range of webinars that land as You Tube videos. The VVBGA covers operational topics from soil health through to distribution. In 2026 the series includes food safety & wholesale distribution costs.

Who is up to join a conversation around creating a regional distributor trade group or shop-talk distribution for smaller businesses? Let Small Bites know!

Apologies for any oversights & errors. It's a little rough out here

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue

All info is subject to change (including distributor product lines) .

photo credit diesel pump: Ольга Клецкова

"Why pay more": Momo's Market historic document



Created with gratitude for the support from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust

Small Bites directly supports the New England State Food System Planners Partnership effort to strengthen the regional food economy.

Contact: Annie Harlow

smallbites802 @ gmail.com

Commentaries, cartoons, & songs, are 100% my own perspective.

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