USAF Veteran, competitive BBQ Pit Master, lifelong foodie, and lover of all things spicy...
David started Blazing Foods in 2017 as a mission-driven organization to support Veteran organizations and create jobs for individuals who need and deserve a second chance.
They work very hard to support their local communities by preparing and donating meals to families in need (over 8,000 during COVID), volunteering, mentoring, financial contributions and creating jobs.
Charlotte, NC
@deathnutchallenge
https://deathnuts.com/
Veteran owned, supports community and veterans
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Righteous Felon Craft Jerky specializes in producing and trafficking high-potency beef jerky made with illegal combinations of unique, all-natural ingredients.
In today's world, it’s rare to find a product that hasn't been mass produced in a mega-factory and stepped on with chemical preservatives and low-grade ingredients. RF uses only the highest quality ingredients to marinade our hormone-and-antibiotic-free, pasture-raised, Black Angus beef from the highly acclaimed 44 Farms in Texas and Roseda Beef in Maryland.
Handmade and produced in small batches to ensure freshness, quality, and consistency for the ultimate tasting experience, Righteous Felon is different – and you’ll know the difference when you tear through your first bag.
West Chester, PA
@righteousfelon
https://www.righteousfelon.com
eco-friendly, handmade, gives back
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IN THEIR WORDS -- > If you told us a few years ago that we would start a canned food company, we probably would’ve been like, “hmm, weird prediction!”
We would have told you that canned foods are boring ol' commodities with zero emphasis on flavor. Canned food couldn’t possibly be exciting, or fun, or really, really delicious.
Then, one magical day, it dawned on us that the problem with canned food wasn’t the can itself: it was the lack of imagination about what could go inside of the can. We hopped into the kitchen with a pressure canner and a pile of mason jars and started testing exciting, fun, and really, really delicious recipes.
We started with beans – because beans are a perfect food, made even more perfect when simmered in aromatic, vibrantly flavored sauces – and the first Heyday product line was born. It took a lot of testing (and one near-death experience involving an accidental bean bomb… story for another time) but we ended up with a line of recipes that changed everything we thought we knew about canned food.
Canned food 4 ever.
Portland, OR
@heydaycanningco
https://heydaycanning.com/
women owned
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Cider and fruit wines that celebrate the fruit and farmers of southern Appalachia.
We make ciders and fruit wines that people love to drink. We use whole fruit and ingredients and low intervention wine making techniques. The cidery began as an extension of our farm and a desire to make a new way of life that kept us closer to our home, family and food. It has grown into a community of orchards and small farms. We came to cider and fruit wine as a way to make a small-scale farm work.
We believe cider and fruit wines should be a force for good in small-scale agriculture. Creativity allows for many local fruits and ingredients in our ciders and wines. Drink good cider. Support local agriculture.
Lansing, NC
@molleychomper
https://www.molleychomper.com/
local ingredients, family owned and run
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Ramblin' Poppy is a "mom and pop" type of shop with a heart. Located in beautiful West Jefferson, NC, they make sausages by hand with a focus on local and ethically-sourced ingredients. Their creative combinations of flavors make these some of the best sausages you can buy! They also are a contributing member of their local community and winner of the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce award for customer service.
West Jefferson, NC
@ramblinpoppy
https://www.ramblinpoppy.com/
local, family owned and run, ethically sourced meats
We have the audacity to believe that providing fresh fruits, vegetables and pantry goods can make us all a little happier. It’s also a great way to build a more sustainable food system. So every day at Happy Dirt, we work hard to pool diverse harvests from several regions, supporting our farmers and enabling us to meet your growing demand for a steady stream of high-quality food choices throughout the year. Happy customers, happy farmers and a happier planet.
When it comes to driving our mission, our capabilities are virtually endless in helping you access the product you desire from farmers you can trust.
Happy Dirt participates in the following third-party audit programs to ensure its commitment to core values: Certified Organic, Food Safety Certified (Primus GFS), Certified B-Corporation, and Certified Living Wage Employer. All of these protocols make Happy Dirt a stronger business – more resilient, sustainable, and better for people and planet!
Durham, NC
@happydirtproduce
https://happydirt.com/
sustainable, certified organic, living wage employer
EP MFG is a collective of nice people. We print and distribute letterpress cards for a variety of independent design brands. Our mission is to make people feel good, and encourage them to make others feel good too. We like to think of ourselves as ‘thoughtful as hell’ -- with a commitment to craft, sustainable manufacturing, and putting people first in all that we do. Here’s what you get when you work with us: Really Good Letterpress: We do letterpress the traditional way: by hand, with artistry and attention to craftsmanship. Every card we manufacture is exceptionally made. High Volume: With well over half a million cards going out the door each year, we offer quality and quantity at a speed not typically associated with the “snail mail” we produce. Sustainable Manufacturing: We make responsibly. From what we use, to how we use it, and constantly looking for ways to use less. We piloted our plastic-free packaging in 2023 with great success, eliminating plastic sleeves on 66% of cards that went out the door!
Portland, OR
@ep.mfg
https://eggpressmfg.com/
women owned, eco-friendly, handmade
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Our food hub began with a little bit of luck, a lot of determination, and a generous dose of community support. We met in 2008 and discovered a shared interest in the well-being of family farmers and in preserving our state’s natural beauty and agricultural heritage. We saw in each other kindred spirits who are energized by solving problems and believe that business can and should be a tool for creating social and environmental good.
In a world of commerce dominated by global supply chain arrangements, small-scale farmers are often denied access to market opportunities. We set out to change that by building a robust market for local, pasture-raised meats that consumers can trust were raised humanely in a spirit of fairness and stewardship. From our humble beginnings as Durham’s first mobile Sausage Wagon, Firsthand Foods has grown into a food hub that feeds the growing demand for locally sourced and downright delicious beef, pork and lamb.
Durham, NC
@firsthandfoods
https://firsthandfoods.com
women owned, humanely-raised meat
Founded in 2018, Jing was inspired by the amazing flavors of her hometown Chengdu and its famous fly restaurants— soulful hole-in-the-wall eateries so good they attract diners like flies.
Fly By Jing is the first premium Chinese food company that brings thoughtfully-crafted pantry staples to the modern kitchen. Developed by Jenny Gao, a chef, entrepreneur and renowned expert on Chinese cuisine, they’re on a mission to bring uncensored Chinese flavors to the table: Where highly charged flavors meet 100% real ingredients.
Los Angeles, CA
@flybyjing
https://flybyjing.com/
AAPI owned
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On the outside they are fun and modern. Inside, they are delicious and prepared according to traditional methods. Traditional Portuguese recipes served with great creativity and good mood. Designers and advertisers in tune with those who, for many years, have been making delicious sardines recipes by hand. This is the main secret of our cans and what makes our brand a success story and highly appreciated both in Portugal and in other demanding markets, such as England, the USA, Germany, among many others.
Lisboa Portugal
@bancadasardinha
https://sardinha.pt/en/
not on Amazon
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Our Tea:
For a tasteful beverage that boasts the added value of elevating our minds, vibrancy, and our spirit, tea is fast becoming found out for what it well and truly is—something of a delightful delicacy, yet so therapeutic. It really does tick all the boxes. From gourmet sachet teabags to loose-leaf, Rooibos, black tea, green, herbal & wellness teas you can rest easy in the confidence and originality that the signature “The Grateful Tea Co.” inspires.
Our Mission:
Re-imagining the tea experience as a cupful of comfort, and an elixir of redemption, hope, and renewed vigor. One “cuppa” at a time.
Cornelius, NC
women owned
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Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, founders Mary Pellettieri and Noah Swanson have drawn upon their collective experiences, to change the way people think about- and enjoy- soft beverages.
In 2014, Mary and Noah started pouring through old recipes for tinctures. They formulated Top Note's original craft beverage concentrates, including a unique Bitter Orange syrup, based on these old world tinctures and sold them at local farmer's markets in Wisconsin. The response was so positive, the founders decided to bring their products to a broader audience while staying true to the artisan take on soft drinks - Keep it real, keep it low in sugar and keep in interesting.
Top Note is serious about flavor, but also about the environment. All packaging is biodegradeable, and they have reduced the packaging needed with e-comm shippers in 2020.
Milwaukee, WI
women owned, eco-friendly
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