Doudlah Farms is exploring a cooked bean product line, driven by an inbound supply request from Bean Vivo and the availability of a co-packing partner in Valley Foods. The initiative is contingent on VAPG grant reimbursements to fund the development. As of the April 2026 strategy call, pricing, recipes, and co-packer terms are still being finalized.
See also: [1] | [2]
Bean Vivo reached out directly requesting supply for new recipes, asking about availability of:
Bean Vivo's inquiry was framed around capacity constraints, not price — giving Doudlah Farms some negotiating room. They are an existing relationship with a prior price point around $1.10–$1.20/lb.
Key constraint: Bean Vivo has historically required ROC-certified beans. Non-ROC inventory cannot be sold into this channel without a separate brand strategy (see [2]).
| Target | Price |
|---|---|
| Opening ask | $1.35/lb |
| Expected settlement | $1.25/lb |
| Prior relationship price | $1.10–$1.20/lb |
The rationale for pushing higher: Doudlah Farms' beans carry ROC and Demeter biodynamic certification, which commands a premium. The prior $1.10 price is considered below fair value for regenerative/biodynamic product.
Negotiation approach: Open at $1.35, expect to land at $1.25. Bean Vivo is accustomed to the lower range, so the increase requires justification via certification value.
Contact: Justin Giambattista, Valley Foods
Valley Foods is the identified co-packer for cooking and packaging the beans. As of the April 2026 call, pricing and MOQ have been requested but not yet received.
Lucy Doudlah has a plain bean recipe ready. Additional recipe sourcing is underway:
The plain recipe will be shared with Valley Foods as part of the co-packing inquiry.
The cooked bean initiative is explicitly tied to VAPG (Value-Added Producer Grant) funding. Approximately $55,000 in marketing reimbursements are currently delayed due to a difficult USDA inspector reviewing grant invoices.
Unlocking VAPG reimbursements would relieve bank pressure (~$500k demand within ~6 weeks as of April 2026) and provide capital to fund the cooked bean development.
See also: [3]
| Decision / Question | Status |
|---|---|
| Bean Vivo pricing | Proposed $1.35 → target $1.25; not yet submitted |
| Valley Foods co-pack pricing | Awaiting response |
| Plain bean recipe | Ready (Lucy) |
| Flavored bean recipe | TBD |
| School unit sizing | In progress (Sherry Howard) |
| VAPG reimbursement unlock | Blocked; call with Daniela needed |
Discussed in: [4]