1. Season Extension Opportunities in Wholesale Markets

2. Wholesale Market Options for Your Product
DSD – Direct Store Delivery
Work directly with local produce manager in the supermarket to arrange regular
delivery of local produce from your high tunnel.
Strong pricing for your harvest – fresh, local, delivered
Must maintain retail spec – walk the target store and review what they have
What is required?
Labeling of items (including PTI compliance)
Insurance Coverage (Liability & Workers Comp)
GAP Certification
Defined Delivery Times
Refrigerated Delivery Vehicle
In-store promotions/customer education
Things to consider –
Defined delivery times and days
How to communicate your availability
How do they prefer to be invoiced
What payment terms are they willing to agree to
Case volume per location, pack specs (12 ct vs 18 ct, vs 24 ct?)
How many locations can you support

3. Wholesale Market Options for Your Product
Food Hub – Marketing Partner
Food Hub enables growers to focus on growing, harvest and packing. Food Hub manages
marketing and (sometimes) transportation of your produce.
Strong pricing for your harvest – Food Hub reviews options and secures top price
Can accommodate volume
Must maintain retail spec –
What is required?
Labeling of items – Food Hub should support this
Insurance Coverage
GAP Certification – depends on customers of Food Hub – becoming more the norm
Excellent communication regarding crop planning, availability and logistics
Volume – sustainable Food Hub cannot support “7 case of this and 12 cases of that”
Things to consider –
Defined pick-up times and days
How to communicate your availability
What payment terms and arrangements do they support
Case volume requirements
How can Food Hub maximize grower revenue

4. Wholesale Market Options for Your Product
DC Delivery – Distribution Center
Work directly regional buyer for supermarket to arrange regular delivery of local
produce to their Distribution Centers
Strong pricing for your harvest – fresh, local
Must maintain retail spec – walk the target store and review what they have
What is required?
Labeling of items (including PTI compliance)
Insurance Coverage
GAP Certification
Workers Compensation Insurance
Defined Delivery Times
Refrigerated Delivery Vehicle, Pallet based loadings
Things to consider –
Defined delivery times and days
How to communicate your availability
How do they prefer to be invoiced
What payment terms are they willing to agree to
Does your annual case volume merit a relationship with the buyer?
Challenging to access regional buyers and secure confidence

5. What to Grow? Grow what are you comfortable growing –
There is a market for many local items on the “shoulder season” or the “off-season”
Grow something there is a large market for:
Romaine Lettuce, Rainbow Chard, Slicer Cucumbers - “high volume”
Kohlrabi , Yellow Wax Beans, Okra, Pickling Cucumbers – “low volume”
Heirloom Tomato Learnings – single vs mixed case
Things to consider when selecting a crop plan –
What is my infrastructure
Ice Machine
Cooler space – size, temperature zone(s)
What labor is required and what skills do they need to have
Bunching Kale vs Bulk Pack Cucumbers
What is my long term rotation plan for this high-tunnel
Utilizing the vertical space in a high tunnel drives many decisions

6. Consumer Trends – Hyper-Local, Local, Regional

7. What are Wholesale Customers Looking For? A LOT!
COMPLIANCE
Certified Organic
GAP Certified
PTI Compliant
Comprehensive Insurance
PACA / Blue Book Member
PROCUREMENT SUPPORT
Availability List /Pricing
Custom Excel File
I-Trade
FOB Pricing
Delivered Pricing
Volume Break-Points
Over 50 Items “Harvest to Order”, Sell from the field
LABELING
Common New Sprout Branding
PLU and UPC-A Coded
Bib Ties
Snap-a-Tags
Elasti-tags
Stickers
Stem Tags
Twist Ties
Clamshells
Support Twin-Lining Retailer Operations
New Sprout Branding
Generic Branding
Private Label Branding
Case Level ID – State Grown
Full Case / Half Case Packs
DIVERSIFIED GROWING OPERATIONS
6 States – 12 mth supply (NC,SC,GA,AL,FL,MS)
35 Growing Operations
Custom Growing Options
RECEIVING SUPPORT
Retalix Member
Temp Loggers
Each Pallet Labeled With
Purchase Order #
Item Detail and Count
Loading & Delivery Date

8. Alan Rose, Owner
Tunnel Road, Suite
Asheville, NC  (o)
(c)