Tractor Beverage Co., the farmer-founded drinkmaker, is expanding beyond the foodservice industry with the release of its first canned drink, Haymaker, which debuts at Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide in 2026.
The Hayden, Idaho-based company’s inaugural retail release is inspired by the Colonial-era farmers’ drink, switchel, which historically was made of water, apple cider vinegar, ginger, citrus and a sweetener like molasses or honey.
Haymaker is an apple cider vinegar-based sparkling tonic and comes in four flavors: Apricot Peach, Citrus Ginger, Dragon Berry and Passion Mango.
Sewing the seeds
It’s been a long road to the retail market for Haymaker. The employee-owned company has spent the last decade building a foodservice business in schools, hospitals, corporate campuses and entertainment venues.
The popular Mexican fast-food restaurant Chipotle is Tractor’s most well-known vendor – altogether, the company’s drinks are available at roughly 10,000 locations, according to Chrystie Heimert, Tractor’s VP of communications, impact and partnerships.
Travis Potter, Griff Barkley and Justin Schneir founded the company in 2014 to produce non-GMO, USDA Organic-certified beverages with a commitment to support soil health.
Today, the company employs about 80 people, all of whom have an equity stake in Tractor.
The company ranked No. 107 in the food and beverage industry on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America, with a three-year growth rate of 118%, marking its fourth consecutive year to make the list.
In Tractor’s foodservice business, Heimert said the focus has been on offering organic zero-sugar and no-added-sugar alternatives to traditional soft drinks in restaurants and other venues.
“We’ve seen a rise in mindfulness around wellness, people looking for alternatives that aren’t water,” Heimert said.
Supporting farmers transitioning to organic
Tractor is more than just a brand – the company has a strong background in supporting farmers, and in 2024 launched the nonprofit Farmhand Foundation, which donates 1% of Tractor revenue to help farmers transition from conventional to organic or regenerative organic farming.
The foundation, which is overseen by Co-founders Barkley and Schneir, also assists farmers with grant writing and connecting with retailers.
“A lot of farmers are just trying to get by. They’re just trying to keep their farms and keep their families fed,” Heimert said. “The idea was not to lecture them or suggest that what they were doing was wrong, but to help them wherever they were.”
Tractor has always been a mission-driven company, prioritizing farm relationships, soil health and total transparency in its efforts to “strengthen the organic food system,” the company said.
“Retail wasn’t something we had our sights set on or rushed into. We knew this move would only make sense if we could do it in a way that stayed true to our heritage and soil-and-soul ethos,” said Tractor CEO Kevin Sherman. “Haymaker is the perfect expression of that. It’s inspired by the farmers who came before us, crafted with ingredients that come from living soil, and made to bring a little soul into everyday life.”
Clean label and Sprouts Farmers Market
The company’s commitment to transparency and clean label makes Tractor a natural fit for grocery chain Sprouts Farmers Market, which operates 478 US locations, as of Oct. 27, according to Scrapehero.com.
Tractor doubled down on its commitment to openness in 2023, with the release of a customer-facing tracker, in collaboration with data platform company HowGood, that shows how much synthetic pesticides were avoided in the manufacturing of its drinks.
During a demonstration of the tracker at Expo West in 2023, Tractor showed that its sustainability practices for foodservice lemonade had avoided 4 tons of synthetic pesticides and supported 5.3 acres of organic farmland.
That dovetails with Sprouts’ mission to help its customers pursue healthier lives.
“At Sprouts, we’re passionate about offering delicious, differentiated products that help our customers live and eat better, and Tractor captures exactly that,” said Kim Coffin, Sprouts Farmers Market’s Chief Forager.
