Cottle Farms

What Cottle Farms does

Cottle Farms is a family-owned agricultural producer established in 1964 in Faison, North Carolina, operating across fresh produce, plant stock, frozen processing, and direct-to-consumer experiences. The company grows, packs, ships, imports, and distributes berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries), muscadine grapes, vegetables, and cantaloupe from Eastern North Carolina farms, supplemented by international blueberry sourcing from Chile, Peru, Argentina, and British Columbia to extend seasonal availability. Through Cottle Strawberry Nursery, Inc., a joint venture with Westech Agriculture Limited based in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Cottle also produces strawberry tips, plugs, and bare root plants (varieties include Chandler, Sweet Charlie, Camarosa, Camino Real, Albion, Festival, Merced, and Ruby June), positioning the firm as one of the leading strawberry plant suppliers on the East Coast.

The business operates four revenue streams: fresh produce wholesale distributed via Direct Store Delivery (DSD) to retailers, U-Pick consumer operations at The Strawberry Patch, B2B strawberry plant stock sales through Cottle Strawberry Nursery, and Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) processing services through BerryColdNC, which also supports the JuVn8 Smoothies product line built on a proprietary muscadine grape puree process that pulverizes the seed to extract resveratrol, ellagic acid, and OPCs. Underlying technology is conventional agricultural — on-site greenhouse seedling cultivation, hand-transplanting, packing facilities with direct washing and pre-cooling, and IQF infrastructure — without disclosed automation or AI/ML systems.

Cottle serves four primary customer segments: retail consumers via U-Pick experiences, commercial strawberry growers purchasing plant stock, retailers and distributors supplied via DSD ordering, and health-conscious consumers interested in antioxidant-rich muscadine grape products. The company holds SQF Level 2, GlobalGAP, Organic, Kosher, GAP, and Produce Traceability Initiative certifications, supporting access to large retail accounts. It remains privately held by the founding Cottle family with a stated headcount of 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding activity, and no parent company.

Name

Cottle Farms

Legal name

Cottle Farms, Inc.

Website

https://cottlefarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cottle Farms is a family-owned North Carolina producer since 1964 that grows, packs, and distributes strawberries, berries, muscadine grapes, vegetables, and cantaloupe, and supplies strawberry plant stock nationwide via a Canada-based joint venture nursery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Farming

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAGACAD

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Fruit & Tree Nut Orchards (Citrus, Apples, Berries, Almonds, Walnuts)

SECONDARYAFAOAGAD

Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities

Agriculture & Food Production/Post-Harvest Handling & Storage (Grain Elevators, Silos, Cold Storage)/Packhouses & Produce Sorting/Grading Facilities

SECONDARYAFAMADAE

Vegetative Propagation (Cuttings, Clonal Forestry, Tissue Culture)

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Nurseries & Seed Supply

SECONDARYAFAGAHAB

Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Greenhouse, Nursery & Floriculture Production (Protected Crops, Ornamentals, Seedlings)

Keywords

• Fresh produce farming
• Berry distribution
• Strawberry plant sales
• Muscadine grape production
• IQF food processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Growing, packing, shipping, importing, and distributing quality fruits and vegetables including strawberries, berries, muscadine grapes, vegetables, and cantaloupe. Primary revenue stream through direct retail and wholesale channels.
2. Strawberry Plant Sales: Production and sale of strawberry tips, plugs, and bare root plants to strawberry growers. Cottle Strawberry Nursery, Inc. is a joint venture with Westech Agriculture Limited, operating from Prince Edward Island, Canada, serving as one of the leading suppliers on the East coast.
3. IQF Services: Individually Quick Frozen processing services through BerryColdNC, providing frozen food capabilities for berries and other produce.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cottle Farms is a family-owned farming operation that grows, packs, ships, imports, and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, muscadine grapes, vegetables, and cantaloupe. The company operates U-Pick strawberry farms for direct-to-consumer sales, supplies strawberry tips/plugs/bare root plants to commercial growers through Cottle Strawberry Nursery, and provides Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) processing services through BerryColdNC.

Product overview

Cottle Farms is a family-owned farming operation established in 1964, offering a diverse portfolio of fresh produce products and agricultural services. The core product offerings include berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries), muscadine grapes, and vegetables (cantaloupe, specialty peppers, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, hard squash, grape tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers). Supporting services include strawberry plant sales (Chandler, Sweet Charlie, Camarosa, Camino Real, Albion, Festival, Merced, and Ruby June varieties), IQF processing services through BerryColdNC, and a U-Pick strawberry patch experience. The company also provides DSD (Direct Store Delivery) ordering for retailers. All products are grown in eastern North Carolina with partnerships extending to international growing regions including Chile, Peru, Argentina, and British Columbia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strawberries Fresh strawberries grown, packed, and distributed by Cottle Farms.
• Blackberries Fresh blackberries grown, packed, and distributed by Cottle Farms.
• Blueberries Fresh blueberries sourced through international programs from Chile, Peru, Argentina, and British Columbia, broadening year-round availability beyond domestic operations.
• Muscadine Grapes Fresh muscadine grapes, black/bronze grape variety, processed using proprietary technique that purees grapes to extract antioxidants like resveratrol, ellagic acid, and OPCs from the skin and seed.
• Cantaloupe Fresh cantaloupe grown and distributed by Cottle Farms.
• Specialty Peppers Wide variety of specialty peppers including Anaheim, Cubanelle, Jalapeno, Serrano, Poblano, Finger Hots, Long Hots, and Hungarian Banana Peppers.
• Bell Peppers Fresh bell peppers with diversified packaging options available.
• Zucchini Fresh zucchini available in 1/2 Bushel units.
• Eggplant Fresh eggplant available in Bushel and 1/9 sizes, regular and Italian varieties.
• Hard Squash Fresh hard squash available in Bushel and 1/9 sizes including Acorn, Buttercup, Butternut, and Spaghetti varieties.
• Grape Tomatoes Fresh grape tomatoes available in 12/1 pint clamshells and 10 or 20 lb bulk boxes.
• Yellow Squash Fresh yellow squash available in 1/2 Bushel units.
• Cucumbers Fresh cucumbers grown and distributed by Cottle Farms.
• Strawberry Plants Leading supplier of strawberry tips, plugs, and bare root plants for commercial strawberry growers across the nation. Varieties include Chandler, Sweet Charlie, Camarosa, Camino Real, Albion, Festival, Merced, and Ruby June.
• IQF Processing Services Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) processing services for berries, provided through BerryColdNC.
• The Strawberry Patch (U-Pick) U-Pick strawberry farm experience for individual visitors and families, allowing them to harvest their own strawberries directly from the farm.
• Muscadine Puree Black/bronze grape muscadine puree produced to utilize muscadine grapes and reduce product waste, promoting sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Muscadine grapes contain over twice the antioxidant power of blueberries based on USDA and Tufts University's ORAC standard measurement

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Westech Agriculture LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership for strawberry plant production based in Prince Edward Island, Canada. This collaboration has made Cottle Strawberry Nursery, Inc. one of the leading strawberry plant suppliers on the East coast.
• Eastern North Carolina GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the most reputable growers in Eastern North Carolina to provide the highest quality vegetables. Vegetables are raised from seedlings in on-site greenhouse, hand-transplanted into fertile soils, and harvested at peak perfection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Naturipe Farms: Naturipe is a grower-owned marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries with international sourcing from the Americas. Comparable to Cottle Farms' multi-region berry program and grower alliance model.
• Wish Farms: Wish Farms is a Florida-based grower and shipper of strawberries, blueberries, and other berries with year-round programs. Directly comparable to Cottle Farms' berry growing, packing, and DSD distribution model on the East Coast.
• Good Farms: Good Farms (formerly Coastal Berry Company) grows and ships strawberries and other berries, primarily on the West Coast. Comparable to Cottle Farms' vertically integrated growing and shipping operations for major retailers.
• Lassen Canyon Nursery: Lassen Canyon Nursery is a major West Coast propagator of strawberry tips, plugs, and bare root plants. Direct peer to Cottle Strawberry Nursery in the strawberry plant stock wholesale business, with comparable variety portfolios.
• MBG Marketing: MBG Marketing is a Michigan-based grower-owned marketer of blueberries and other berries with international sourcing. Comparable to Cottle Farms' grower alliance structure and blueberry import program.
• Bobalu Berry Farms: Bobalu is a California-based grower-shipper of strawberries and blueberries with year-round programs. Comparable to Cottle Farms' berry growing, packing, and DSD distribution model for retail customers.
• California Giant Berry Farms: California Giant is a grower-shipper of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries with year-round supply. Comparable to Cottle Farms' berry portfolio, food-safety-driven retail relationships, and value-added product strategy.
• Edgewood Bogs / Sunny Ridge Farm: Sunny Ridge Farm is a New Jersey-based grower and shipper of blueberries, strawberries, and other berries with year-round programs. Direct peer to Cottle Farms' East Coast berry growing and distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Taylor Farms: Taylor Farms is one of North America's largest processors and shippers of fresh-cut vegetables and salads. Comparable to Cottle Farms' vegetable growing operations, BerryColdNC IQF processing capability, and retail food-service channel mix.
• Driscoll's: Driscoll's is the dominant global grower-marketer of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, with proprietary genetics and global sourcing. Comparable to Cottle Farms across berry categories and as a major plant-stock user, but operates at vastly larger scale and brand presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cottlefarmsnc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cottlefarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cottle-farms-inc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cottle Farms