Last updated on September 14th, 2022
Smaller companies offering local products that shoppers seek
As part of a recent trip to Tennessee, Shelby Publishing President and Publisher Stephanie Reed and Jackie Krapf, business development manager, visited with many local vendors. Some of the company profiles appear below. All are listed under the Pick Tennessee Products.
Alchemy Spice Co. 
Since 2003, Alchemy Spice Co. has been handcrafting artisan spice blends in Chattanooga.
Its primary business lines are consumer products that they bottle and sell online at alchemyspicecompany.com.
They can also be found via wholesale partners, which includes independent grocers, specialty food and gift stores and some Whole Foods Market locations.
The primary small-batch products sold are spice blends, oil and fusion bottles. In general, many of the blends are low in salt but there also are salt-free options like Garam Masala, Mexican Mole and a baking and breakfast blend.
Sungarden Seed and Sprouts 
Cookeville-based SunGarden Seed and Sprouts aims to provide the sprouting and micro green communities with the safest and highest quality seed available on the market.
“Additionally, SunGarden Seed now offers a validated seed purification process that provides up to a six-log reduction in pathogens,” according to its website, sproutnet.com/sungarden.
Sungarden also makes sprouts filled with vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes. For more expensive seeds – onion, garlic or micro greens – the company shoots for above 95 percent germination.
Sungarden is a fully vertically integrated company growing all of its products indoors and manufacturing all of the equipment used.
Mamma Merrill’s Herbal Formulas 
Years ago, Nashville-native Ashley Merrill was looking for products to boost her children’s immune systems.
The creator of Mama Merrill’s Herbal Formulas, she spent two years developing and tasting until she found the right combination for her elderberry tonics.
The business began in her kitchen and quickly grew after that – selling in about 100 retailers. Mamma Merrill’s sells tonics, formulas and DIY kits. Per their labeling, a tonic is a liquid preparation that invigorates, restores and strengthens.
Knott’s Fine Foods 
Knott’s Fine Foods was founded in 1947 in Paris. President and owner Josh Knott’s grandparents, Cedric and Mildred Knott, saw an opportunity to use their recipes to make and sell salad spreads and sandwiches.
Nearly 75 years later, the company is still going strong. It sells products like pimiento cheese, chicken salad, pickled items and dips.
For more information, visit knottsfoods.com.
Wide Open Foods 
Wide Open Foods was established in Nashville in 2014, making various all-natural sauces that do not contain artificial ingredients. The products can be found in 150 stores, according to the company’s website.
Today, Wide Open offers 11 different products, which include six versatile anything sauces, two spices and four heat levels of its popular Nashville Hot Chicken sauce. The sauces are dairy and gluten free, with most also not containing sugar or carbs. The company was established by Martee and Rashelle Rule.
For more information, visit wideopenfoods.com.
nuJo 
Carmen Wagner made a lifestyle change with a goal for improved health. She had a passion to create a better cup of Joe, and nuJo was born.
This “prebiotic superfood” can be enjoyed hot or cold. The company has also been featured in Rolling Stone magazine’s recommended list of coffee alternatives.
Per nuJo’s website, a portion of the proceeds from its sales go to National Angels, an organization that supports families within the U.S. foster care system. nuJo is listed under Pick Tennessee Products.
For more information, visit drinknujo.com.
Daily Crunch 
Women-owned and mission-driven, Nashville based start-up Daily Crunch Snacks is an award-winning sprouted nut snack company.
Daily Crunch puts raw nuts through a four-day process that results in sprouted and dehydrated nut snacks that are more nutrient dense, easier to digest and crunchier than raw or roasted nuts.
All Daily Crunch snacks are non-GMO, free of gluten and are keto-, vegan- and paleo-friendly. Daily Crunch donates a portion of its proceeds to The Support Network, an organization that advocates for mental health awareness on college campuses across the country.
For more information, visit dailycrunchsnacks.com.
