1A

Producers 1 Agriculture Group & Sustainable Solutions

Building the Garden State:
NJ's Rural-to-Urban Food Hub Network

Producers 1A Group is the aggregator and distributor for small and midscale family farms across the mid-Atlantic. Skip the cold calls, the contracts, and the logistics. Stay in the field.

I'm a farmer — let's talkI'm a buyer
Ecotone RenewablePartnerThe Trenton Transformation: from vision to action — working groups forming nowPrestige SolarPartnerNow sourcing from NJ · PA · DE · MD family farmsOMNIGROPartnerComing soon: The Producers1 Ag Market — Simply Fresh ProducersHarlem GrownHub ThinkerFarmers with surplus? Ask about our food-donation program for pantries & sheltersCenter for Agriculture & Food Systems at Vermont LawHub ThinkerAmerican AgriculturistHub ThinkerFarm FuturesHub ThinkerEcotone RenewablePartnerThe Trenton Transformation: from vision to action — working groups forming nowPrestige SolarPartnerNow sourcing from NJ · PA · DE · MD family farmsOMNIGROPartnerComing soon: The Producers1 Ag Market — Simply Fresh ProducersHarlem GrownHub ThinkerFarmers with surplus? Ask about our food-donation program for pantries & sheltersCenter for Agriculture & Food Systems at Vermont LawHub ThinkerAmerican AgriculturistHub ThinkerFarm FuturesHub Thinker
4
States served
40+
Family farms in network
20+
Years in the field
Regional
Buyers reached

Community Recap

The Trenton Transformation

From vision to action on August 11, 2026.

Residents, growers, educators, government representatives, and community organizations filled the room at Mercer County Community College's James Kerney Campus for our first Urban Agriculture & Sustainability community meeting. It proved there is both a real need and a genuine appetite for a stronger, more connected urban ag ecosystem in Trenton — and it was the beginning of the work, not the conclusion of the conversation.

Government representative speaking at the Trenton urban agriculture community meetingCommunity elder speaking at the podium during the Trenton Transformation meetingOrganizer speaking to attendees at the Trenton Transformation gatheringSpeaker addressing the Trenton Transformation community meeting at Mercer County Community CollegePanelist speaking into a microphone at the Trenton urban agriculture meetingCommunity leader sharing remarks at the Trenton Transformation meetingPresenter at the podium during the Trenton urban ag and sustainability meetingMayor of Trenton addressing urban agriculture leaders at the Trenton Transformation community meeting
“No single organization, government agency, school, farmer, gardener, or resident can build this alone. Let's move beyond asking what Trenton could become and start answering: what are we prepared to build together over the next 12 months?”
Manatee Smith — President & CEO, Producers 1 Agriculture Group & Sustainable Solutions

Five Focus Areas

The framework we're organizing around

01

Land & Infrastructure

Land access modeled on the Atlantic City ordinance, community gardens, water access, and long-term site stability.

02

Policy & Advocacy

Advocacy, organizing, and lobbying around Senator Shirley Turner's Urban Ag Bill S-3024.

03

Climate & Canopy

Trees, stormwater management, rain gardens, green infrastructure, and neighborhood resilience.

04

Youth & Workforce Development

Pathways into urban agriculture, horticulture, landscaping, carpentry, environmental science, and other green careers and businesses.

05

Food & Community

Local food production, composting, farm stands, food hub distribution, entrepreneurship, and an Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee model ordinance.

Next Steps

Our next gathering is a working session

Rather than another presentation-style meeting, we're convening to name specific priorities, responsibilities, partnerships, and projects that can realistically move over the next 12 months.

Join a working group
  1. 1Conduct a leadership and partner debrief from Tuesday's meeting.
  2. 2Identify individuals and organizations interested in each focus area.
  3. 3Establish small working groups around those priorities.
  4. 4Identify several achievable projects that demonstrate what this collaboration can accomplish.
  5. 5Begin developing a one-year action plan supporting the larger vision for Trenton.
  6. 6Prepare for the next gathering: “The Trenton Transformation II: From Vision to Action.”

Our Promise

Farming is hard enough. Selling it shouldn't take the rest of your day.

Most family farms in this region have the land, the knowledge, and the work ethic to feed their neighborhoods many times over. What they don't have is the time, the trucks, or the buyer rolodex to compete with industrial supply chains.

We're the missing middle. Producers 1A Group buys your harvest at a fair price, consolidates it with neighboring farms, and moves it to grocers, institutions, restaurants, and food hubs across the mid-Atlantic. One handshake. One check. No marketing required.

Meet the CEO & Founder

Portrait of Manatee V. Smith Jr., President and CEO of Producers 1 Agriculture Group & Sustainable Solutions
Manatee V. Smith Jr.
President & CEO · Founder
manatee@producers1aggroup.com609-461-9220

Twenty years of building opportunity where the system left a gap.

Manatee V. Smith Jr. is the Operating Manager of Producers 1 Agriculture Group and Sustainable Solutions LLC, a certified Minority Business Entity based in New Jersey with relationships across the Southeastern United States. He is an agriculture expert deeply committed to the diversity, fairness, equity, and inclusion of marginalized, underserved, and socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and producers.

His background spans rural agriculture, urban agriculture, land development, community development, outreach, and agribusiness — from serving as a top aide in the City of Trenton's Department of Citizens Concerns and coordinating its Sustainable Green Initiative, to leading the Old Trenton Neighborhood CDC and helping secure a $1 million Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit for the community.

Manatee believes land ownership is a human right and the pathway to wealth creation — especially for socially disadvantaged and underserved producers — and that land stewardship, regenerative practice, and organic farming belong at the center of the work. That conviction is why Producers 1 Ag Group is positioning itself as a more equitable food hub supply chain and distribution system.

  • 20+ years advocating and organizing for socially disadvantaged, underserved rural and urban producers
  • Consulted on the USDA DFAP 22007, USDA 2501, and CRP-TIP programs supporting minority and veteran farmers
  • Member: Federation of Southern Cooperatives, National Black Farmers Association, National Black Growers Council, NJ Dept. of Agriculture Underserved Farmers Network
  • Collaborations with the offices of U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, and NJ Senator Shirley Turner
  • Certified by the NJ Redevelopment Authority in CDBG/HOME compliance, project finance, and 'From Vacancy to Vibrancy' redevelopment strategy
  • Morgan State University — Business Management & Marketing
Connect with Manatee

About Us

National Food Supply Chain

Core Capabilities

  • Food Distribution
  • Transportation / Logistics
  • In-State and National Food Sourcing
  • Technology-focused supply chain

Certifications

  • Certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
  • Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
  • System for Award Management (SAM) Verified Vendor
  • Small Business Bonding Readiness Assistance Program

Entity

Unique Entity ID
NAHRX6QARKH1
CAGE Code
9CW61
ETIN
81-5424941

Our Story · The Team

"As a Black-owned business leader, I've watched grants disappear, programs get pulled, and good growers get squeezed out — not because they couldn't farm, but because they couldn't out-market the system. Producers 1A is what growers needed twenty years ago. So we're building it for the next generation."
Manatee Smith
Founder & Operator

Twenty years of hands-on agriculture leadership. Manatee is not a farmer himself — he's the connector, the negotiator, and the logistics operator building the middle layer family farms have been missing. As a Black-owned business leader, he's rebuilding opportunity for growers who've been squeezed out by grant cutbacks and industrial consolidation.

Otha Cadwell
Urban Agriculture Consultant

Advises Producers 1A on urban agriculture strategy, community integration, and scaling models that connect rural growers with city buyers. Otha's expertise anchors the New Jersey pilot and the network's expansion into Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Harold E. Creacy
Housing Consultant

A graduate of Morgan State University and Rutgers Law School (J.D. 1987, admitted to the New Jersey State Bar that November), Harold holds an LL.M from the Greenberg Traurig Real Property Development Program at the University of Miami — covering affordable housing, real estate development, land security and finance, planning and zoning, and housing law and policy — plus a certificate in Urban and Economic Development from UNC Greensboro.

Julie M. Cracel
Food Waste Reduction & Sustainability

Julie leads initiatives in food waste reduction, stewards a sustainable CPG portfolio, and supports tech advancement in the food industry. She unites farmers and executives around climate-smart agriculture and supply chain logistics that build equitable access to local food, having scaled sustainability solutions across 100+ commercial operations while exceeding growth targets.

Kevin Reid
Transportation & Logistics Consultant

Founder of the National Minority Trucking Association and CEO of I.A.M. Media Group, LLC (Truck Stop Podcast). With 20+ years in transportation, Kevin brings deep expertise in operations, intermodal business development, freight, contract negotiation, inventory management, and 3-PL logistics, and previously served as CEO of an Atlanta-based courier company.

Davin Intsiful
Business Development & Financial Literacy · Stable Path Financial Solutions

Davin leads business development and financial literacy for the network. Stable Path Financial Solutions provides flexible financing with rates starting as low as 0%, plus credit repair and financial literacy support for our farmers, producers, and agri-businesses.

MARS CDC
Development Partner · South Jersey Food Hub

MARS CDC, in collaboration with Producers1 Agriculture Group and Sustainable Solutions, is developing a South Jersey Food Hub initiative with Royal Dynastic Organics in Millville, New Jersey — supporting aggregation, supply chain distribution, technical assistance, producer training, and expanded market access for local and regional farmers.

Equity by design

Built to serve farms that have historically been last in line for grants, contracts, and capital — including Black-owned and minority family farms across MD, NJ, PA, and DE.

Transparent pricing

No mystery margins. Growers see what their crop sells for and what it costs to move it. Trust is the only contract that lasts.

Region-locked

Every crate moves within the mid-Atlantic — keeping food, dollars, and dignity in the communities that grow it.

What we do

Six pillars of a resilient regional food system.

Producers 1 Agriculture Group operates as two connected arms — a farmer-first food hub and a sustainable solutions practice — working the seam between soil, community, and the grid.

01

Sustainable Agriculture

Farmer-first aggregation that keeps small and midscale growers on the land — with fair prices, transparent contracts, and support for regenerative practice.

02

Food Security

Fresh produce moved to grocers, restaurants, bodegas, HBCUs, and community hubs across NJ, PA, DE, and MD — where people actually live and eat.

03

Renewable Energy

Sustainable Solutions partnerships with Ecotone Renewable (PA), Prestige Solar (NJ), and OMNIGRO to bring clean power and closed-loop systems to farms.

04

Community First

Built by farmers, for farmers, especially underserved farmers and multi-generational family farms, the big supply chains left behind.

05

Climate Resiliency

Diversified regional sourcing, cold storage, and food-donation logistics designed for a changing climate and unpredictable growing seasons.

06

Food Waste & Donation

A dedicated pipeline for farmers with surplus — routed to food pantries and shelters through partners like Ecotone Renewable and community allies.

Hands holding rich soil with a young seedling

For Farmers

Built around how you already work.

  1. 01

    Tell us what you grow

    A short conversation about your acreage, crops, harvest windows, and capacity. No paperwork to start.

  2. 02

    We commit before you plant

    Where it fits, we secure buyer demand up front so you know your harvest has a home before the first seed.

  3. 03

    We pick up. You get paid.

    Coordinated pickup or drop-off at our aggregation point. Transparent pricing, prompt payment, real receipts.

  4. 04

    We carry the rest

    Cold chain, food safety paperwork, buyer relationships, invoicing, complaints. All of it. You stay in the field.

Join the grower network

Our Region

Regional food, on purpose.

We work within a tight four-state footprint — Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware — because shorter supply chains mean fresher product, fairer prices for farmers, and food that actually stays in the community that grew it.

  • 01

    Maryland

    Eastern Shore vegetables, Southern Maryland tobacco-belt transitions, urban-edge growers serving Baltimore and the DMV.

  • 02

    New Jersey

    Garden State row crops, South Jersey berry and stone fruit, North Jersey hydroponic and specialty growers.

  • 03

    Pennsylvania

    Lancaster County diversified farms, Chester County orchards, Susquehanna Valley grain and livestock producers.

  • 04

    Delaware

    First State produce growers and small farm operations from Sussex County to the Wilmington urban corridor.

The Network

Building the Garden State:
NJ's rural-to-urban food hub network.

Producers 1A operates as the aggregation and supply-chain distributor connecting rural family farms to urban institutional buyers. A regional pilot is underway across five New Jersey counties, with the same model extending into Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

01Rural Sourcing

Wholesale rural sourcing

We buy directly from rural family farms at fair wholesale prices — sustaining agribusinesses that have been priced out of industrial supply chains.

02Aggregation Hub

The central aggregation hub

Producers 1A manages cold storage, supply-chain logistics, and GAP food-safety training so growers can hand off product and stay in the field.

03Urban Market Integration

Urban market integration

High-quality regional produce delivered to urban schools, hospitals, mobile markets, and faith-based organizations that need real provenance.

Strategic Impacts & Regional Reach

Scaling urban agriculture

The network helps urban farmers scale operations, creating local workforce and economic development across the corridor.

Targeted regional pilot

Launching across Mercer, Burlington, Somerset, Cumberland, and Essex Counties — five counties chosen where need meets opportunity.

125 producer partnerships

The project aims to bridge 125 rural and urban farming partnerships for long-term sustainability across the mid-Atlantic.

Targeted Regional Pilot

Five New Jersey counties. One connected food economy.

We're starting where the need and the opportunity meet — bridging rural growers with urban demand to scale local agriculture, create workforce, and build long-term economic resilience.

  • Mercer County
  • Burlington County
  • Somerset County
  • Cumberland County
  • Essex County
125
Producer partnerships targeted
30
Formal MOUs signed
25
Marginalized-org collaborations
5
NJ pilot counties

Current work

On the ground today.

Regional pilot programs, in development for 2026. No fabricated metrics — real farms, real partners, transparent progress.

Regional aggregation pilot
Food Hub

Regional aggregation pilot

Sourcing produce from family farms across NJ, PA, DE, and MD and moving it to grocers, restaurants, and bodegas closer to home.

Farm partnerships in development
Renewable Energy

Farm partnerships in development

Exploring on-farm solar and closed-loop systems with Ecotone Renewable and Prestige Solar to lower input costs for participating growers.

Surplus-to-community pipeline
Food Donation

Surplus-to-community pipeline

Building a donation form and logistics path so farmers can route surplus harvest to food pantries and shelters with pickup or drop-off options.

Faith-Based Partnership

Nourishing NJFAC Members

A partnership for food access, health equity, and organizational growth.

Bring the harvest to your congregation.

We partner with faith communities across Mercer County and the greater mid-Atlantic to move fresh, locally grown produce from small and midscale family farms directly to the members and neighbors you serve.

  • 1Schedule a 15-minute alignment call with our Mercer County team.
  • 2Identify a potential lead coordinator within your organization.
  • 3Set a target launch month for your community.

Contact

Manatee Smith

609-461-9220manatee@producers1aggroup.com
Schedule your 15-minute callLearn more
Heirloom vegetables in wooden crates on weathered wood

For Buyers

One call. Many farms. Real provenance.

We aggregate volume from dozens of family farms so you get the consistency of a wholesaler with the story of a farmers market. Every crate is traceable to the field it came from.

Restaurant MOV: $250–$350Wholesale minimum: 5–10 casesSourcing: NJ · PA · DE · MD
  • Independent & regional grocers
  • Restaurants & chef collectives
  • Neighborhood bodegas
  • School districts & universities
  • Hospitals & corporate dining
  • Food hubs & co-ops
Request a sourcing conversation

Coming Soon

The Producers1 Ag Market

Simply Fresh Producers.

A regional retail and wholesale storefront bringing fresh, traceable, family-farm produce from MD, NJ, PA & DE directly to urban neighborhoods, grocers, restaurants, and bodegas.

Partners & Ecosystem

Built with partners who share the mission.

Click any partner or regional hub thinker below to visit their website and learn more.

Pennsylvania
Ecotone Renewable

Food-waste-to-energy partner turning post-aggregation organic waste into renewable resources.

New Jersey
Prestige Solar

Powering aggregation hubs and cold-storage infrastructure with clean, resilient solar energy.

Regional
OMNIGRO

Soil health and grower-input partner supporting sustainable yields across the network.

Aligned Regional Hub Thinkers

Urban Food Hub
Harlem Grown

Harlem-based organization inspiring urban farming and youth-led food-hub models that bridge city and rural growers.

Policy & Research
Center for Agriculture & Food Systems at Vermont Law

Legal and policy research center strengthening resilient food systems, farm justice, and regional supply chains.

Farm Media
American Agriculturist

Trusted voice covering crop, livestock, and market news for family farmers across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Farm Business
Farm Futures

Farm business management resource helping producers plan budgets, manage risk, and market grain and livestock.

Blog Posts

Writing from the field and the statehouse.

View all posts
August 21, 2026

New Jersey Opens Urban Agriculture Subcommittees

Sign up by August 26

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is forming five urban agriculture subcommittees — Farmland Access, Zoning and Land Use, Education and Training, Aggregation and Food Security, and Marketing. Growers and advocates are invited to sign up by August 26.

Read the article
August 2026

A Municipal Approach to Food Access and Community Stability

Food deserts are governance failures, not natural scarcity

Food insecurity in developed communities is rarely about total food shortage. More often it reflects breakdowns in access, transportation, affordability, and coordination — conditions municipal leadership can actually change.

Read the article
May 26, 2026

Urban Agriculture as Stabilizing Infrastructure

A Second Edition

Federal cuts, climate pressure, and rising food insecurity have sharpened — yet urban agriculture remains one of New Jersey's most reliable stabilizing forces for families, cities, and local economies.

Read the article
April 30, 2026

Urban Agriculture Is Municipal Infrastructure

A Statewide Call to Action for New Jersey's Urban Mayors

From the North Jersey press conference at Greater Newark Conservancy to Atlantic City's zoning reforms, one message is clear: New Jersey's urban mayors must lead the next era of food system resilience.

Read the article

Start a Conversation

Whether you grow or you buy — let's see if we fit.

No long forms. Tell us who you are and what you need, and someone will be in touch within two business days.

Emailmanatee@producers1aggroup.com
Phone609-461-9220
Service areaMaryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · Delaware