Peterson Farms Inc.

Peterson Farms Inc., a for-profit manufacturer of canned, frozen, and processed fruit products headquartered in Shelby, Michigan, supplies bulk apples, applesauce cups, frozen berries, and other commodity fruits to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a prime contractor competing in full-and-open procurements without set-aside designations. The company operates processing facilities in Shelby, Michigan; Akron, Ohio; and DeLand, Florida, with all products required to be grown, processed, and prepared exclusively in the United States.

Peterson Farms' federal work is entirely concentrated within the Department of Agriculture's nutrition assistance ecosystem. The top three funding sub-agencies account for 92 percent of recent awards by count: the Agricultural Marketing Service Washington Office (47 awards, $89.3 million combined potential value), the Food and Nutrition Service (27 awards, $59.9 million), and the Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crops Program (48 awards, $57 million). The dollar ranking shifts slightly—Washington Office and FNS dominate potential value—but USDA concentration is absolute; 148 awards across five USDA sub-offices represent 100 percent of Peterson Farms' prime federal footprint with no subcontract exposure. The company's work fuels USDA programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program.

Peterson Farms holds five active Indefinite Delivery Contracts worth a combined $24.9 million in ceiling value, with embedded delivery orders placing firm fixed-price task orders for specific fruit commodities. The largest IDC (123J1422D0046, $12.8 million ceiling through September 2023) addresses bulk apples for further processing; the most recent IDC (123J1425D0064, $4.2 million ceiling through March 31, 2026) also targets apples. Representative recent awards include a $6.4 million delivery order (September 2024) for mixed fruit commodities including bulk apples, frozen apple slices, applesauce cups, and frozen cherries under the Food and Nutrition Service; a $3.1 million definitive contract (December 2025) for applesauce cups in 96-cup packaging under the Agricultural Marketing Service Washington Office; and a $526 thousand delivery order (January 2026) for bulk apples under an Indefinite Delivery Contract expiring March 31, 2026.

Activity has grown moderately in recent years—seven awards in 2022 to thirteen in 2024, with ten awards in 2025 and two in 2026 year-to-date. The portfolio is heavily weighted to applesauce cups and bulk apples, with secondary volume in frozen blueberries and frozen cherries, all driven by USDA commodity procurement cycles. The company's categorization as a full-and-open competitor (no 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other set-aside designation) positions it alongside other large manufacturers in unsegmented procurements; the underlying solicitations cited in award summaries frequently include set-asides for small business categories, but Peterson Farms competes in the unreserved segment. Combined obligated value across the portfolio stands at $203.8 million against $218.4 million in combined potential value (93 percent burn rate), signaling consistent execution against awarded ceilings.