Buona Foods continues aggressive growth
Since 2021, Buona Foods has increased its mushroom growing capacity by 25 percent, and according to Sales and Account Manager Chris Johansen, the company plans “to continue this growth cycle into the near future. Part of our ongoing growth is the construction of additional houses at our three existing farms.”
Buona Foods is a fourth generation, family-owned mushroom farm in Landenberg, PA. “We are located in the mushroom capital of the world,” he said. “We grow and pack mushrooms in both bulk and retail formats, servicing customers in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. As we increase our production capacity, we are also expanding our reach into other markets, with logistics in place to target most of the country.”
Johansen said the company’s sales pitch focuses on its impressive history spanning four generations and “a legacy of integrity and hard work to grow great mushrooms and strong relationships with our customers. We are large enough to fill the customer’s needs, but small enough to remain nimble and responsive.”
He added that its core customer base leans more toward retail customers, although foodservice sales have slowly recovered from the precipitous decline that accompanied the pandemic and its restaurant closures.
Johansen revealed that the company is moving into its peak sales season. “The fourth quarter is our busiest time of year, as people cook more, entertain more and generally eat more,” he said. “Mushrooms are always popular during the holiday season, whether they accompany main dishes on the holiday table or are served as appetizers in a variety of forms.”
He noted that demand for mushrooms has been impacted by the economy, but he believes sales are still keeping pace with other produce items. “White mushrooms still make up the bulk of our business, but brown varieties, like crimini and portabellas, are increasing their market share,” Johansen said. “Exotic mushrooms continue to see the highest rate of growth in our industry, as people become more knowledgeable and adventurous in their cooking habits.”
He said that retail promotions are an excellent way to increase sales. “We always see some lift due to sales promotions,” he said, adding that their year-round availability offers plenty of ad opportunities. “There are enough varieties that retailers don’t have to run the same specials on white and baby bella mushrooms, promote exotics to attract new customers or run a feature on portabellas for grilling in the summer.”
The company is always willing to work with its customers to facilitate those promotions, including help with signage and point-of-sale materials. “We regularly take part in store openings, demos and other customer-facing events,” Johansen said. “Our team loves engaging the public about the process of growing mushrooms, great ways to cook them, and the nutritional benefits they offer.”
Tim Linden
About Tim Linden | 
Tim Linden grew up in a produce family as both his father and grandfather spent their business careers on the wholesale terminal markets in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Tim graduated from San Diego State University in 1974 with a degree in journalism. Shortly thereafter he began his career at The Packer where he stayed for eight years, leaving in 1983 to join Western Growers as editor of its monthly magazine. In 1986, Tim launched Champ Publishing as an agricultural publishing specialty company.
Today he is a contract publisher for several trade associations and writes extensively on all aspects of the produce business. He began writing for The Produce News in 1997, and currently wears the title of Editor at Large.
