New Producer Round Up

Food Connects is thrilled to share the increased growth of our Food Hub family. As our team has established more partnerships with food hubs across New England, we’ve onboarded 35 producers over the past 18 months. These new producers represent an increase our diversity in products, ensuring our wholesale customers see Food Connects as a one-stop-shop.

** Denotes producers as part of our top 20 selling vendors in 2022.

5 Generations Creamery - West Glover, VT

5 Generations Creamery is dedicated to its Vermont farmland and has remained steadfast to these ideals for over 100 years. They are committed to caring for their land and livestock every day. They make small batch cheeses from milk produced on their farmstead without using any artificial growth hormones.

Featured Products: Mild, Sharp, and Special Reserve Cheddar; Cheese Curds

Abracadabra Coffee - Woodstock, VT

“SINGLE-ORIGIN EVERYTHING. ALWAYS.” They start with the highest quality coffee sourced seasonally from small producers. Roasted and brewed to highlight the nuances of origin, natural sweetness, and depth for a clean, smooth, complex brew.

Featured Products: Classic and Dark Times Cold Brew

 

American Vinegar Works - Worcester, MA 

American Vinegar Works is an artisanal maker dedicated exclusively to the small-batch fermentation of vinegars that enhance cooking and cocktails. They use only American wines, beers, and ciders that reflect regional taste profiles and emphasize quality. All of their vinegars are produced, aged, and bottled by the AVW team in their vinegar works in Worcester, MA. 

Featured Products: Vinegar - Apple Cider, Cranberry Apple Cider, Hot Apple Cider, IPA Beer Malt, Porter Beer Malt, Rose Wine, Chardonnay Wine, Red Wine, Rice Wine, Cherry Rice Wine

Artisan Beverage Co-op** - Greenfield, MA

The Cooperative’s mission is to produce the highest quality beverages possible, taking into account the social and economic impacts of all decisions of the cooperative, and to demonstrate, through their success, the viability of worker cooperatives and fairly traded goods.

Featured Products: Katalyst Kombucha Flavors - Bliss Berry, Concord Grape, Ginger Devotion, Green Lovin', Hopped, Jasmine Katalyst, Pineapple Katalyst, Raspberry Lime, Schizandraberry

Barrett's Garden - Pawtucket, RI

After missing lasagna, stuffed shells, and Italian foods, and because Liz Barrett couldn’t find healthy, delicious, dairy-free 'parmesan' and 'ricotta' in the stores, she started making them at home. Simple, healthy ingredients, no fillers, oils, or junk. Barrett’s Garden products are proudly certified Vegan and Kosher. Their ingredients are non-GMO and ethically sourced, pure, and simple.

Featured Products: IPA Cheddar (cashew-based); Vegan Cream Cheese, Farmesan - Vegan Cashew-based "Parmesan Cheese;" Sassy Cashew Spreads - Cheddah, Pink Salt & Pepper, and Sriracha Lime flavors; “Cheese” Ravioli

Barts Ice Cream - Greenfield, MA

At Barts, they only put what they love in their pints. That means local, high-quality ingredients and as much ice cream as possible! Each and every pint is hand packed by their team of passionate ice cream enthusiasts. From their table to yours!

Featured Products: Ice Cream Flavors - Almond En-Joy, Black Tiger, Caramel Heath Bar, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chunky Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry, Coffee & Cream, Coffee Heath Crunch, Cookies and Cream, Deep Purple Cow, Double Trouble, Ginger, Kahua Sombrero, Local Maple Cream, Malted Vanilla, Maple Walnut, Mass Mocha, Midnight Chocolate, Mint Chip, Moose Trails, Mud Pie, Orange Dutch Chocolate, Peanut Butter Paradise, Sea Salt, Three Geeks and a Red Head, Vanilla

Sorbet Flavors - Coconut, Lemon, Margarita, Raspberry, Strawberry

Bear's Fruit Kombucha - Brooklyn, NY

The phrase "to bear fruit" means to yield positive results. From making delicious, better-for-you products to striving for a net positive impact, they're driven by that mantra every day. What's in their bottle is on their label. Period. If you can't pronounce an ingredient, you won't find it here. They keep things simple because they believe in highlighting the taste, purity, and freshness of their ingredients.

Featured Products: Kombucha Flavors - Blueberry Lavender, Ginger, Lemon Rosemary, Pineapple Mint, Strawberry Jalapeno; Sparkling Probiotic Waters - Blackberry Sage, Mango Habanero, Strawberry Basil, Watermelon Mint,

Bell and Goose Cheese Co. - South Hampton, NH

Made by farmers who love the land, the animals, and their work so you can love your food.

Anna Cantelmo started Bell & Goose Cheese Co after more than a decade of studying and pursuing the craft of artisan cheese making. The creamery is located on Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, NH, where her husband Andre and his business partner Greg have been growing vegetables and berries for over 20 years. They make fresh and aged cheese with cow and sheep milk sourced from a local family-run dairy. 

Featured Products: Cheeses - Buttercheese, Camembert Cubs, Cheese Curds, Creamline, Dill Havarti, Feta, Flora Hayward, Hot Pepper Havarti, Ploughman, Rockingham

Blue Barrens Farm - Columbia, ME

Blue Barrens Farm is 31 years a family farm. They sell organic wild Maine Blueberries and deliver throughout Maine and parts of New England.

Featured Products: Wild Frozen Blueberries (retail and bulk)

Boyden Farm** - Cambridge, VT

At Boyden Farm, they focus on family farming as it used to be and should be. Their family farm and local butcher shop produce the high-quality, flavorful beef their customers deserve. As a part of their unique GrassPlus program, their locally sourced cattle receive a healthy grass-fed diet finished with old-fashioned non-GMO feeds, creating delectable beef that is better than grass-fed alone.

Featured Products: Brisket Roast; Brisket; Chuck Roast; Ground Beef Patties; Ground Beef; Steak Tips; Stew Beef, Steaks, other cuts available by special request

Chi Kitchen - Pawtucket, RI

Their mission at Chi Kitchen is to create flavorful, hand-crafted Asian foods for the well-being & vitality of their customers. Their products are loaded with billions of beneficial probiotics using only the best ingredients and free of preservatives. Chi Kitchen is a woman-owned family business founded by Chef & Culinary Educator Minnie Luong, who was born on a beautiful rice farm in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.

Featured Products: Authentic Napa and Vegan Kimchi; Kimchi Pickles; Sesame Slaw

Cobb Hill Cheese - Hartland, VT

Cobb Hill Cheese has been handcrafting artisan cheeses on their farm in Hartland, Vermont, since 2000. Every batch of cheese is made from fresh milk every other day. Cedar Mountain Farm's jersey cows provide rich milk that imparts a delicious, nutty flavor to the cheese. Their cheese makers follow the age-old process of heating milk, adding lactic bacteria and vegetable rennet, hand-stirring the curd, hooping, and pressing.

Featured Products: Cheeses - Ascutney Mountain, Four Corners, Golden Aged Smoked Gouda, Good Old Gouda, Heavenly Havarti, Holy Smokes, Oh My Gouda

Common Wealth Poultry - Gardiner, ME

At Common Wealth Poultry, they're on a mission to produce the best possible product you can get your hands on, to empower their community by creating opportunities and well-paying jobs, and to make it effortless for customers to obtain incredible quality poultry. Their chicken is all-natural, antibiotic-free, air chilled, halal inspected, and humanely raised. 

Featured Products: Bone-In Chicken Breast; Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast; Chicken Drumstick; Chicken Tenders; Bone-In Chicken Thigh; Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thigh; Whole Chicken; Chicken Wings; Regular, Garlic & Herb, Hot & Spicy, and Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

Deep Root Organics** - Johnson, VT

Deep Root Organic Cooperative was founded in 1985 by a handful of farmers in Vermont and Massachusetts. Looking to access markets beyond their respective local areas, these growers united under one name with the common goal of providing fresh organic produce to customers throughout New England. Their member farms produce between 85,000 – 100,000 cases (of over 150 crop varieties) of organic produce annually, supplying local and regional markets throughout the northeast and east coast.

Featured Products: Certified Organic Beets; Hot House & Lebanese Cucumbers; Rhubarb; Rutabaga; Turnips;  Hot House Tomatoes (Heirloom, Cherry, Red & “On-the-vine”); Potatoes; Winter Squash; Onions; Pepper; and more!

ecobean - South Burlington, VT

At ecobean+greens cafe in South Burlington, Vermont, they constantly received customer requests to bottle their best-selling dressings. They listened! Their dressings—made with the best ingredients available—are now bottled and sold in select markets. Enjoy their dressings on salads, as a marinade for seafood, meat, and veggies, as a dip, or for barbecuing!

Featured Products: Dressing Flavors - Chipotle Ranch, Cilantro Lime Dressing, Tahini Miso Ginger Dressing, Vermont Maple Dijon

Fairland Farms - Cape Cod Organic Cranberry - Barnstable, MA

Fairland Farm, LLC and Cape Cod Organic Cranberry, LLC were formed to become stewards of the continuing agricultural history of Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Not only are they mindful of the benefits to the food industry from growing cranberries, but they are reminded daily that the surrounding support land, whether upland or lowland, is a significant resource for the various plants and animals that exist within their borders. Their cranberry products can be found in most of the five-star restaurants in Rhode Island and in many grocery stores that feature local products.

Featured Products: Dried Cranberries, Apple Juice Sweetened; Dried Organic Cranberries (when available)

Heron Pond Farm - South Hampton, NH

At Heron Pond Farm, farmers strive to be biological. Biological farming is the act of maximizing biological activity in the soil. Their commitment to the health of their land and customers is stronger than ever, as evidenced by the sustainable practices they have put in place. They have developed management plans that keep their air, land, and water in mind as they grow a whole-farm ecosystem. 

Featured Products: Fresh Vegetables

Herrell's Ice Cream - Northampton, MA

Since 1973, the Herrell's name has been synonymous with premium, gourmet ice cream made right in-house from the finest ingredients. At their flagship ice cream shop in Northampton, Massachusetts—in the heart of the Pioneer Valley—they still slow-churn their ice cream with care. And over the years, they've added many more frozen desserts and baked goods to tempt every taste!

Featured Products: Hot Fudge - No-Moo (vegan), Original, Peppermint

High Lawn Farm - Lee, MA

High Lawn Farm is a third-generation, family-owned, 100% Jersey dairy farm located in the heart of the Berkshires in Massachusetts, approaching its 100th anniversary! At High Lawn Farm, it’s always been about the cows. Since their grandparents decided, back in the 1920s, to build a dairy farm of only Jersey cows, their passion has been achieving excellence in all regards, from respecting the Jersey heritage and breeding to the quality of milk produced at their farm.

Featured Products: Butter - Sea Salted & Sweet Cream (Unsalted); Cultured Butter- Sea Salted & and Unsalted; Cream - Heavy Cream, ½ & ½, and other farm products available by special order.

Hudson Valley Fisheries - Hudson, NY

Hudson Valley Fisheries was inspired by a commitment to food security and environmental stewardship. Their goal is to protect wild fish populations and the environment through dedicated animal care and Advanced Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) Technology.

Featured Products: New York Steelhead Trout Fillets, Hot Smoked New York Steelhead Trout Fillets

Jaju Pierogi - Lynn, MA

Jaju Pierogi was founded by sisters Vanessa and Casey White in 2016, starting with their grandfather's (dziadziu's or Jaju's) recipes. After growing up with pierogies always in the freezer, they realized they were hard to come by in the Boston area. Five years later, Jaju Pierogi now distributes throughout the Northeast but still ensures their pierogies taste just like their family's.

Featured Products: Pierogies - Cabbage & Mushroom, Jalapeno Cheddar, Potato & Cheese, Spinach & Feta, Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion

Joe's Kitchen at Screamin' Ridge Farm - Montpelier, VT

Joe's Kitchen produces flavorful and healthy soups, chilis, chowders, and macaroni and cheese. Their products are all made with integrity—using super-fresh ingredients, without any fillers or binders. As a family-owned company, they work with local farms to sustainably source their ingredients, which helps mitigate waste from farm surplus and preserve Vermont's working landscape. 

Featured Products: Chicken, Roasted Chicken, and Roasted Beef Bone Broth; Miso Vegetable, Roasted Vegetable, Ginger Chicken Vegetable, Broccoli Cheddar, Chicken & Stars, Thai Carrot Ginger, Thai Curry Squash, Beef & Bean Chili, Split Pea & Ham, Cheddar Ale, Clam Chowder, Cream of Mushroom, and Vermont Dal Soup, plus many more; Regular and Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

Miller Farm** - Vernon, VT

Miller Farm is an Organic dairy located in Vernon, Vermont. Their passion for community and cows started in 1916 with the purchase of the land by Arthur Lyman Miller. Five generations later find them farming approximately 700 acres in the Connecticut River Valley. Their milk comes from their 199-cow registered Holstein milking herd. In 2009, Miller Farm became Certified Organic.

Featured Products - Chocolate, Coffee, Maple, and Regular Creamline Whole Milk

Mixed Up Nut Butter - Colchester, VT

Mixed Up Nut Butter is a Vermont-based specialty food business, specializing in craft nut butters made from unique blends of tree nuts and other high-quality natural ingredients. Each ingredient they use has intent, and each of their nut butters has a story, which you can read about on the side of each jar. 

Featured Products: Craft Nut Butters - Coconut Flurry, Maple Bliss, Maple Cremee, Mud Season, The High Bar, The New Favorite

Narragansett Creamery** - Providence, RI

At Narragansett Creamery, they make cheese every day because they love to and because of their commitment to making the freshest cheese. They use local milk, kind bacteria, vegetable-based rennet, salt, and nothing else. While they are not certified organic, they are thoughtful in their actions and purchases. They support fair-trade and local ingredients to the best of their ability, and their farmers pledge never to use growth hormones. 

Featured Products - Burrata, Fresh Mozzarella, Mediterranean Style Grilling Cheese, Renaissance Ricotta, Queso Blanco, Salty Sea Feta, Smoked Mozzarella, and Yogurt

Sherpa Foods** - South Burlington, VT

Sherpa Foods is a Burlington, Vermont-based family food supply business that produces and supplies authentic traditional Nepalese foods to various co-ops, health food stores, and supermarkets. It was founded in 2015 to bring delicacies to its customers, made locally and with the freshest, natural ingredients.

Featured Products: Beef, Chicken, Pork, and Vegan Vegetable Momos (Nepalese Dumplings); Hot, Mild, and Sesame Momo Sauce (Himalayan Style Hot Sauce); Vegan Chowmein - Himalayan Style; Vegan Fried Rice - Himalayan Style

Shri Bark Snacks - Pawtucket, RI

Alison Bologna, a local television news anchor in Rhode Island, opened Shri Studio in 2010 to serve the state’s most vulnerable populations by operating yoga outreach programs in her immediate neighborhood. During that time, while she taught in the studio, her better half spent his time baking snacks in their apartment down the street. Within a few weeks, the demand for the snacks dictated the need to go from their home kitchen to a nut-free commercial bakery, and within two months, the largest Whole Foods Market in the state invited them onto their shelves. 

Featured Products: Oat, Fruit & Seed Bars - Cranberry Cinnamon Spice, Dark Chocolate Cherry, and Salted Caramel Apple;  Oat, Seed & Fruit Rounds (like a muffin/cookie hybrid) - Apple, Banana, Chocolate Chip & Cranberry Spice; Muffins - Blueberry, Carrot, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Chip, Confetti, Cranberry Orange

Sidehill Farm - Hawley, MA

Sidehill Farm is a working partnership of two certified Organic farm-based businesses. Sidehill Farm Yogurt produces fresh, delicious, certified Organic yogurt from the milk of the grass-fed cows that live on the farm. Meadowsweet Farm owns and milks the cows; and produces raw milk and certified Organic, grass-fed meats for their farm shop. They are both small, family-run businesses that work in partnership to produce high-quality food for their local community. 

Featured Products: Cultured Sour Cream; Yogurts - Low Fat Maple, Low Fat Plain, Low Fat Vanilla, Whole Milk Maple, Whole Milk Plain

Simple Gifts Farm - Amherst, MA

Their animals are healthy and happy, their land is organically and sustainably farmed, and their work is increasingly powered by green energy. They are the stewards of the North Amherst Community Farm (NACF), community-owned land preserved in perpetuity for farming. The nonprofit NACF brought them in as farmers to ensure that the land remains an organic community farm, a wildlife corridor, and a place for local residents to enjoy nature and walking trails. They run the farm as an ecological unit, integrating vegetable crops and livestock, and connecting their members with their food supply. They also train the next generation of organic farmers through their apprenticeship program.

Featured Products: Salad Mix, Arugula, Spinach, Garlic Scapes, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and more

Singing Pastures - Damariscotta, ME

John Arbuckle is a 9th-generation farmer. Singing Pastures practices regenerative agriculture to improve soil, their foundation for clean water, abundant wildlife, and a greener planet. They are committed to creating healthy, delicious food in partnership with the planet.

Featured Products: Roam Stick Flavors (pork-based snack sticks)- Bacon, Jalapeno, and Pineapple

Snow's Ice Cream - Greenfield, MA

Snow's is a premium quality ice cream reminiscent of ice creams made in the 1950s or 1960s before commercial ice creams began to compromise on quality. Snow's is made in 3-gallon tubs for scoop shops and restaurants and 56 oz scrounds for retail grocers.

Featured Products: Ice Cream Flavors - Black Raspberry, Butter Crunch, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Coffee & Cream, Cookies & Cream, Double Chocolate Fudge Chunk, Ginger, Maple Cream, Maple Walnut, Mint Chip, Moose Trails, Mudpie, Orange Pineapple, Red Raspberry with Chocolate Chips, Salty Caramel Brownie, Strawberry, Vanilla, Vanilla Fudge Swirl, Wild Maine Blueberry

Vermont Bean Crafters** - Warren, VT

Vermont Bean Crafters works hard to ensure you get the most delicious, nutritious, and sustainably-sourced foods they can create. When sourcing ingredients, they start as close to home as possible, then move to regional growers and producers (New England), and only source outside their region when local options aren't available. With all ingredients, they look to work with folks that are doing it "right," keeping in mind their triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

Featured Products: Dry Beans - Organic Black Beans, Cranberry/Borlotti Beans, Jacobs Cattle Beans, Pinto Beans, Yellow Eye Beans; Black Bean Burgers; Falafel Burgers; Harvest Burger; Falafel Fritters; Mockingbird Nuggets (vegan)

Warner Farm - Sunderland, MA

Warner Farm is proud to be one of the oldest and longest-running family farms in New England. Ten generations of Warners have farmed here in Sunderland since the 1720s. Father and son, Mike and David Wissemann, continue that legacy by sustainably growing a wide range of crops on 150 acres of fertile river valley soil. Through the generations, the farm has been dedicated to growing the highest quality produce to sustain both the community and their farm family. 

Featured Products: Asparagus; English Peas; Fresh Herbs; Green Beans; Peaches; Scallions; Strawberries; Sugar Snap Peas; Sweet Corn; Sweet & Hot Peppers; Winter Squash

Wellness Croft - Plymouth, MA

“Plant-Based Products with Purpose.” Wellness Croft, Inc is a new, veteran-owned, sustainability-focused, plant-based freeze-dried producer in Plymouth, MA. Its mission is to support certified sustainable, local, and Fair-Trade producers. Their products are low in calories, highly nutritious, and locally sourced. 

Featured Products: Freeze Dried Apples, Blueberries, Grapes, Peaches, Strawberries, and more

Yoder Farm - Danby, VT

Yoder Farm’s apple cider vinegar is something they’re known for in the local area, and they would love to extend their branches even wider to share its benefits with even more people. They are thankful for the many landowners who have leased their land to them so that they can access the wild apples that make their vinegar extra delicious.

Featured Products: Apple Cider Vinegar; Mixed Fruit, Raspberry, and Strawberry Vinegar Fruit Tonics