Red Earth Farm in Kempton will be the main produce supplier for the Trexlertown Whole Foods.
?Word spread quickly back in March when Whole Foods Market announced they were looking for unique products from local growers and producers to feature in three upcoming Pennsylvania stores: the relocations of the Wynnewood and Philadelphia City Center (Callowhill) stores, as well as Allentown. The latter will live in a 63-acre shopping center site off Krocks Road between the Route 222 Bypass and Hamilton Boulevard in ?Lower Macungie Township?, slated to open around September 2016. Not long after submitting the online survey, which took only a matter of minutes, Red Earth Farm was summoned to Lancaster for a meet and greet.
When the meeting day arrived, we packed up our finest produce samples – our crispest tatsoi, the lushest green leaf lettuce, perfect hakurei turnips, sweet pea shoots and then some – in a cooler. Jittery nerves were present, even up until the handshakes and greetings, but as soon as the cooler opened, it felt as though time stopped. Words were hardly necessary, yet it was in that moment that a combination of words was released into the universe that we will never forget: ?”In 20 years of buying produce for Whole Foods, I have never seen such a high-quality presentation of product as Red Earth Farm’s.”
The next step was to welcome Whole Foods Market to the Kempton farmstead for a tour of the full operation. We walked and talked about possibilities, nibbling samples growing in the fields. There was a clear interest in setting up a friendly partnership where both parties experience benefits. Their walk-thru of the buying process made it very clear that their wholesale program doesn’t focus solely on their bottom line. They aren’t just interested in ?taking ?from their local partners. They want to see them ?prosper ?and they work off an in-house Responsibly Grown program, instead of requiring expensive certifications. They picked our brains for advice on tailoring the new store to the Lehigh Valley area and inquired heavily about additional local suppliers that they could potentially bring into the store as well. We immediately reeled through our mental list of bountiful producers in the area. There was no shortage. Pennsylvania’s Berks-Lehigh area is bursting at the seams.
After the farm visit, they went on to feature Red Earth Farm’s vegetables as the Produce Department focus at their Regional meeting in Maryland, which is set up as a friendly competition between Whole Foods departments. It took first place, beating the always popular Beer Department.
We are currently still in the early stages of working with Whole Foods Market but actively taking steps to provide for the families that shop there. Once the proper paperwork clears and the new location opens, more locals will have convenient access to the area’s bounty, which means more nutritious options and a healthier culture. We will always value our direct connection with our CSA members and farmers market customers and they will remain a top priority as we ease into the Whole Foods relationship and beyond. After all, it’s hard to say we would even be in this situation without them as early, long-time supporters.
Founded in 2006, Red Earth Farm of Kempton is a family-run farm growing produce and flowers for Emmaus and West Chester farmers’ markets, wholesale and a unique CSA that lets you order items each week. Please call 610-756-3600 if you would like more information or a tour of the farm.