Selling wholesale – to grocery stores, distributors, and large institutions – can be a valuable market channel for small farmers. However, successfully selling into these markets can require foresight and preparation to avoid risk. Involving substantially higher volume along with quality specifications, specific handling and packing standards, fulfillment timeframes, and so on, there’s a lot to sort out. This can feel overwhelming, but the Farmers’ Guide to Wholesale Agreements (36pgs.) can help! This guide walks you through the process of selling wholesale, including brainstorming and negotiating terms and solidifying the deal in a written agreement. Farm-ready tools include a helpful checklist, a sample Grocery Store Supplier Agreement and a sample Marketing and Distributor Agreement.
If you are selling wholesale, you may be working with a large-scale corporate grocery store or other distribution channel, which can feel intimidating. If you are finding that you need more help with negotiating the terms of a wholesale contract, you may want to consult our Farmers’ Guide to Negotiating and Drafting Agreements (31pgs.) for extra support in this process.