Client Spotlight: Kraemer Farms
Certified Food Alliance Client since 2008
For more than a century, the Kraemer family has been cultivating a deep connection to the land in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, guided by a belief that thoughtful stewardship and long-term vision are the foundations of a successful farm. What began as small-scale farming in the early 1900s has grown, generation by generation, into Kraemer Farms, LLC: a diversified agricultural operation known for quality, consistency, and enduring family values.
Bins of hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes
Kraemer Farms formally took shape in 1964, when Harold and Ann Kraemer established the farm with a focus on berries and row crops. Building on agricultural roots that ran deep in the family, they laid the groundwork for an operation that would continue to adapt as markets, technologies, and landscapes changed. From the beginning, the Kraemers emphasized care for the land and a willingness to evolve, traits that would become hallmarks of the farm’s identity.
Over time, Kraemer Farms expanded beyond its early crops, responding to new opportunities while remaining anchored in the Willamette Valley. Today, the farm produces a diverse mix of wine grapes, hazelnuts, grass seed, and other specialty crops across multiple ranches. This diversification reflects both practical resilience and a long-standing commitment to managing risk in ways that support the farm’s longevity and the people who depend on it.
At the heart of the operation is Kraemer Farms’ vineyard program, widely regarded as the cornerstone of the business. What began decades ago with a small vineyard planted through a handshake agreement has grown into an extensive and thoughtfully managed network of vineyards. Located along the eastern edge of the valley, these sites benefit from varied soils, elevations, and microclimates, allowing the Kraemers to cultivate a range of grape varieties suited to each location. The result is a vineyard program that supports strong partnerships with wineries and reflects a careful balance between tradition, science, and site-specific farming.
Innovation has long played a role at Kraemer Farms. From early adoption of mechanical harvesting to ongoing investments in efficiency and infrastructure, the farm has consistently looked for ways to improve operations while maintaining quality and environmental responsibility. This openness to change, paired with institutional knowledge passed down through generations, has allowed Kraemer Farms to remain competitive while staying true to its roots.
Equally important is the farm’s people-centered approach. Kraemer Farms has built long-term relationships with employees, partners, and buyers, recognizing that sustainable agriculture depends not only on healthy soils and crops, but also on stable, respectful working conditions and trusted collaborations. This emphasis on continuity and mutual respect mirrors the family’s multi-generational outlook, where decisions are made with future decades in mind.
Kraemer Farms’s vegetable production has been certified with Food Alliance since 2008, underscoring its long-standing commitment to practices that protect natural resources, support worker well-being, and strengthen agricultural communities. “Working with Food Alliance allows us to showcase our values and the intention we put into our work on the farm,” says Andy Kraemer. Through Food Alliance certification, the farm demonstrates that sustainability is not a trend or a marketing claim, but an ongoing process of accountability, improvement, and transparency.
“Kraemer Farms has been a valued Food Alliance partner for nearly two decades. Their long-standing certification reflects a deep, consistent commitment to stewardship, transparency, and continuous improvement. Relationships like this are foundational to Food Alliance’s work, and Kraemer Farms exemplifies what it looks like to invest in sustainability for the long term,” says Shaila Cook, Certification Program Director.
Today, Kraemer Farms continues to evolve under the stewardship of the next generation, carrying forward a legacy that blends history with forward-thinking agriculture. With more than 100 years of family farming behind it and a clear vision for the future, Kraemer Farms exemplifies how values-driven stewardship can sustain both land and livelihoods for generations to come.