Locally Grown: Massachusetts
See profiles of our Local Faves:
Massachusetts | Connecticut | Rhode Island | Maine | New England
Our Commitment to Local
For over twenty-five years, Whole Foods Market has supported local vendors, producers and farmers because we know that foods created close to home are fresh, naturally nutritious and delicious. We are committed to creating partnerships with our neighbors and communities.
To help identify local vendors, we have our own foragers whose job its is to stock our shelves with local products including crispy breads baked in Massachusetts, sweet heirloom tomatoes grown in Maine, delicious raspberry jam from Rhode Island or fresh pesto from Connecticut. Every day, you can walk into our stores and choose from a wide selection of New England products.
Definition of Local
Whole Foods Market works to identify food grown, raised or created close to our stores that meet our quality standards. In general, we are committed to providing as many superior artisanal products from Connecticut and New England as possible.
Some of Our Locals
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Atlas Farm
Deerfield
Situated on perhaps the most fertile growing soil on the East Coast, Atlas crops include organic Asian greens, carrots, leeks, summer squash, herbs, and edible flowers.
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Sister Nadine's
Boston
Custard-like pies made from navy beans—a new Boston favorite from a hometown family recipe.
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Capone Foods
Somerville
Home-style fettuccine, tortellini, ravioli, lasagna and pasta sheets make your meals easy and satisfying.
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Didi Davis Foods
Ipswich
Didi's creative salt blends, sugar blends, garnishes, syrups and flavored butters give your traditional dishes a new twist.
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Allandale Farm
Brookline
Boston's last working farm offers tomatoes, beets, greens, summer and winter squash, beans, peppers, and eggplant.
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The Original Rangoon
Norwell
An array of delectable appetizers for your next special dinner including scallops wrapped in bacon and Crab Rangoon.
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Highlawn Farm
Lee
High protein milk products from a 1300 acre farm in the Berkshires.
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Cormier's Kitchen
Stoneham
Marinate in minutes instead of hours with these flavor-concentrated cooking sauces.
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East Dennis Oyster Farm
Fresh oysters from Cape Cod brought to you by a company that loves what they do and their efforts are reflected in the quality of the oysters.
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Berkshire Mountain Bakery
Housatonic
Hearth baked breads and pizzas using natural nutritious sourdough for leavening.
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West County Cider
Colrain
Creators of a wide variety of hard ciders for the table, from very dry to sweet. Some have a champagne-like flavor, while others are more robust and all are made with apples grown from New England orchards.
Some Local Legends
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Happy Valley Organic Cooperative
Western MA
In the early 1990s, Doug Coldwell and Paul Maiewski were studying in the Fruit and Vegetable Production program at UMass Stockbridge. Doug was an aspiring farmer; Paul was a fourth generation potato farmer from Whately. The two men became friends, so Doug moved to Whately to help Paul diversify his family farm, while also farming nearby land in his own right. At the time, there were two other sizeable organic farms in the area and the four farmers realized that if they formed a cooperative, they could coordinate with each other without competing for business. Happy Valley Organic Cooperative was born and now sells its lettuce, greens, summer and winter squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and potatoes throughout New England.
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Hedgie's Hot Stuff
Greenfield
After 20 years of making salsa for his family and friends, Steve Nelson finally caved in to the demands to make it a business. His two children came up with the name Hedgie's, named after a beloved pet hedgehog. Steve uses fresh local ingredients from nearby farms and his salsas are based on the habanero pepper which gives Hedgie's its sweet heat. Who tests the heat factor? Steve's children, of course, because this is a family run operation, passionate about salsa.
Local in the Kitchen
Almond Crusted Goat Cheese over Greens
- 2 (4-ounce) local capri goat cheese logs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 18 ounces mixed local lettuces or baby greens
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each goat cheese log into 5 pieces. Whisk egg with water in a small bowl. Mix flour, salt and pepper in another bowl. Place almonds in a third shallow bowl. Roll goat cheese slices in flour mixture and shake off excess. Then dip into egg mixture and roll in almonds to coat, pressing gently to adhere.
Place coated goat cheese on a greased baking sheet and drizzle with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until cheese is softened and sizzling. Allow goat cheese to cool a few minutes.
To serve, divide greens between six salad plates. Place 1 or 2 warm cheese slices on each plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serves 6.