Selling · article
Finding your first wholesale buyer before you plant
Grocers, restaurants and food hubs buy differently. How to approach each one in winter, not at harvest.
Not yet expert-reviewed. Written by BAU Farm Intelligence from public extension and agency sources. Check dates and program details with your local extension office.
Start in winter
Buyers plan their local purchasing months ahead. Calling in July with a truck of squash is the hardest way to sell.
Know what they will ask
- What crop, how much, and which weeks
- Packaging and grade
- Food safety: many buyers ask for GAP certification
- Insurance and invoicing
Three kinds of buyers
- Restaurants: small volume, high price, want consistency.
- Grocers: larger volume, want packing to spec.
- Food hubs: aggregate small farms; often the easiest first wholesale step.
Put it in writing
Even a one-page agreement listing crop, volume, weeks and price protects both sides.