Case studies of four innovative enterprises—Country Natural Beef, CROPP/Organic Valley, Shepherd’s Grain and Red Tomato—offer models of how mid-sized farms and ranches can prosper through producing and selling high-quality, differentiated food products into a variety of markets. Known as “mid-scale food value chains,” these new business structures focus on strategic alliances that operate at regional levels, market significant volumes of products and distribute profits equitably among all strategic partners. These case studies show viable alternatives to marketing value-added food products through commodity channels, which may not be profitable for mid-size farms, and consumer-direct marketing.

These case studies were developed for the national Agriculture of the Middle initiative, which seeks to support the disappearing sector of mid-scale farms, ranches and related agrifood enterprises.

The following case studies are all saved in PDF format:

• Values-based food supply chains: Executive summary
• CROPP/Organic Valley is a 1,000-member, multi-regional farmer co-op marketing organic dairy, eggs, vegetables and other products.
• Country Natural Beef is a 100-member rancher cooperative in the northwestern United States.
• Shepherd’s Grain is a 35-farmer LLC marketing sustainably grown and functionally specified flour in the northwestern United States.
• Red Tomato is a non-profit, market-oriented, fair-trade business supporting 35 fruit and vegetables farmers in the northeastern United States.