Whole Foods Local Producer Grantee Reception at Working Solutions New San Francisco Office
On August 17, Working Solutions and Whole Foods Market co-hosted a reception for 13 local small businesses to celebrate the success of the 2016 Whole Foods Local Producer Grant program. This year’s grantees represent a diverse range of products: everything from Dry Creek Peach & Produce, an organic peach grower, to the Sonoma Wool Company, a local wool producer from Valley Ford. Grantees traveled from as far away as Healdsburg, San Jose, and Sonoma to Working Solutions’ new San Francisco offices on 930 Montgomery Street to network, share resources, and collect their grant checks. For photos of the event, please visit our Facebook.
Now in its third year, the initiative is part of the Whole Foods 5% Day program through which Whole Foods Markets in Northern California and Reno, Nevada allocate 5 percent of sales to be divided evenly among grant winners. Since the program’s inception, over $600,000 in grant funds have been distributed to 93 local small businesses.
The 2016 recipients plan to use their grants for a variety of needs such as opening a new manufacturing space, purchasing new packaging equipment to speed-up and simplify production, and investing in new and exciting product lines.
Click the links below to learn more about this year’s grantees!
San Francisco and Peninsula:
- Heliotrope* (San Francisco): Organic body care products
- Sprouted Minds* (San Mateo): Delicious raw nutrition bars
- Suite Foods Waffles (San Francisco): Yummy Liège waffles
- NeoCocoa (El Granada): Gourmet chocolates
Sonoma County:
- The Great & Wonderful Sea of Change* (Windsor): Tasty seaweed snacks
- Rawkit Fuel (Petaluma): Energetic healing snacks
- Dry Creek Peach & Produce (Healdsburg): Organic peaches
- CHEVOO (Sonoma): Marinated goat cheese in olive oil
- Sonoma Wool Company (Valley Ford): Natural wool products for home and life
Sacramento:
- Five by Five Tonics (Chico): Flavorful bitters and tonics
San Jose:
- 2nd Story Bakeshop (San Jose): Scrumptious breads and pastries
- Sweetdragon Baking Company (San Jose): Crunchy peanut brittles
Northern Nevada:
- Nevada Brining Company (Reno): Savory pickles, rubs, and seasonings
* – Working Solutions client
