When Steve Brazeel launched Elevated Foods, the goal was to help small- and mid-scale produce growers aggregate their supply and navigate an increasingly complex retail landscape. Supported by federal grant funding, the company serves as a farmer-centered platform designed to shift how specialty crops move from the field to the grocery shelf.
However, as Paul Kneeland, vice president of sales for Elevated Foods, points out, selling these crops to major buyers requires shifting away from trendy jargon.
“We’re talking about soil health. We’re talking about sustainability. We’re talking about biodiversity but mainly around soil health,” he says.
For Kneeland, a former retail executive, the biggest hurdle is closing the knowledge gap among big-box grocery buyers.
“I didn’t know anything about regenerative agriculture when I was in retail,” he says. “I think there’s a big gap there. I think there’s an opportunity for companies like ours, like Elevated Foods, to tell that story to the buyers ... and really emphasize what the growers are doing in the fields.”
He summarizes the core philosophy: “Soil health equals plant health equals product health equals people health — and planet health is the last one.”
Backed by a $20 million USDA award under the Advancing Markets for Producers initiative, Elevated Foods provides small- and mid-scale growers with incentive funding and technical support. This financial runway allows the company to focus on reducing supply chain steps and gathering baseline soil metrics rather than immediately demanding price premiums from retail category managers.
How Does Elevated Foods Cut Costs for Major Produce Buyers?
To make regenerative produce commercially viable without expecting immediate price markups, Elevated Foods focuses on operational efficiency.
“The premium part is going to come later. I don’t think it’s going to come right now with the economics of the marketplace,” Kneeland says. “What we’re doing on the Elevated Food side is carving down the supply chain. ... Shorten it and tighten it to just ensure that freshness and also to reduce costs.”
By aggregating smaller growers — particularly those under 400 acres — Elevated Foods provides major buyers with supply redundancy, a broader produce assortment and a single point of contact for logistics.
Why Is Elevated Foods Partnering with Edacious to Test Crops?
To back up their field practices with hard science, Elevated Foods partnered with Massachusetts-based food lab Edacious to test crop nutrient density. Rather than using this data as an aggressive consumer marketing pitch right away, the team uses it to measure soil health improvements and establish baselines across East and West Coast growers.
Kneeland describes this return to natural soil stewardship as “modern old-school,” noting that lab metrics give credibility to traditional farming practices.
“It’s really going back to nature and having nature take care of the sustainability part,” Kneeland says. “I think this gives credibility to the growing practices.”
By combining lab-tested quality, bold aisle branding and direct farm storytelling, Elevated Foods is equipping retailers to engage health-conscious baby boomers and sustainability-minded Gen Z and millennial shoppers alike.
FAQ
- What is Elevated Foods? Elevated Foods is a grower-led produce platform that aggregates supply from small and mid-scale specialty crop farmers to help them access major retail and wholesale markets.
- How does Elevated Foods support regenerative agriculture? The company helps farmers implement soil-focused practices, such as cover cropping and reduced tillage, while validating those practices through lab testing and creating direct distribution paths to grocery buyers.
- What role does Edacious play in Elevated Foods’ business model? Edacious is a food technology lab that tests produce for nutrient density, providing baseline data that measures soil health improvements across partner farms over time.
- How does Elevated Foods target different consumer demographics? The brand positions its produce to appeal to two main segments: baby boomers looking for health-driven nutrient density as well as Gen Z and millennial shoppers seeking sustainably grown crops.
- What role does USDA grant play in Elevated Foods’ model? Elevated Foods leverages funding from its $20 million USDA grant, administered under the Advancing Markets for Producers program, to directly incentivize specialty crop farmers adopting soil-health and regenerative practices. This federal support allows Elevated Foods to scale its grower collective, streamline wholesale distribution and validate crop quality through lab testing while keeping initial costs competitive for grocers.
