Local Loan Recipients: Northeast

Whole Foods Market's Northeast Region includes New York, New Jersey (excluding Marlton and Princeton), and Greenwich, Connecticut.

Grindstone Farm

Pulaski, New York

Dick and Victoria de Graff of Grindstone Farm have been farming organically at their upstate New York farm since 1988. They started with blueberries and soon expanded to other vegetables. Now in their 19th growing season, they current sell through a CSA, an on-farm market, and wholesale.

Grindstone will be using the Local Producer Loan to purchase hoop houses, which will help them to extend their growing season and increase their farm revenue. The de Graffs currently have another couple that works with them who plan to join the business, and this expansion will help facilitate that growth.

Red Jacket Orchards

Geneva, NY

Red Jacket Orchards is a third-generation family farm that has been producing fruit with passion and integrity since 1958. The Nicholson family business grows apples, summer fruits, berries, and juices and has been selling to Whole Foods Market for seven years.

They used the loan proceeds to enclose several acres of high-density apricots, white cherries, and Japanese plums under a Haygrove high tunnel. These delicate crops are very sensitive to the elements, and this project aims to mitigate negative effects of weather calamities. The goals of the project are to increase production consistency by protecting the orchard from extreme conditions, increase fruit quality by reducing exposure to rain and increasing photosynthesis, advance maturity and harvest dates, allow for production of specialty and heirloom crops, increase sustainable agricultural practices, and allow the potential for transition to organic.

Upper Meadows Farm

Montague, NJ

Upper Meadows Farm has been certified organic since 1991, growing from 41/2 acres to their current 153 acres. During that time the farm has raised pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, and cattle, for meat, fur, fiber, eggs, and milk. They have expanded their vegetable production from the traditional "kitchen garden" to approximately 12 acres today, and they are gradually expanding their fruit production.

Their loan will be used to construct a packing and preparation building. Being able to facilitate the rinse, prep, and pack process will improve their operational efficiency, preserve the quality of the products, allow them to exceed food safety requirements for food handling, and afford them an opportunity to add value-added minimally-processed products to their sales.

Upper Meadows Farm chose the Local Producer Loan Program due to both its favorable interest rate and the fact that Whole Foods Market is more understanding of the choices they have made to protect their soil through responsible agricultural development.

Wine Cellar Sorbets

Brooklyn, New York

Wine Cellar Sorbets is a young company founded by two childhood friends, Bret Birnbaum and David Zablocki. The two were planning to open a restaurant with David as chef when they realized the potential to market wine sorbets, a product they were considering offering at the new venue. From what they understand, they are the first and only company marketing this type of product in the U.S.

The company has received two loans under the Local Producer Loan Program. The first loan was used to purchase a larger, commercial-grade freezer and packaging in bulk, both of which will allowed Wine Cellar Sorbets to better serve Whole Foods Market customers. Their second loan will fund an expansion into other Whole Foods Market regions.

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