Are there any specialty crop exchange sites that focus on connecting growers with local and regional buyers?

Yes — there are a few specialty crop exchange / food hub / produce marketplace platforms that are designed to help connect growers with local and regional buyers such as grocers, restaurants, schools, institutions, and distributors. They’re often less like a national commodity exchange and more like a local food marketplace.

Examples to look at:

• LocalHarvest — a directory and marketplace connecting buyers with local farms, CSA programs, and farmers markets.
• FoodHub / Food Hubs Network — food hubs often act as intermediaries, aggregating products from regional growers and selling to local buyers.
• Harvie — helps farms sell directly to consumers and sometimes wholesale-style buyers, depending on the setup.
• Open Food Network — an open-source marketplace platform used by regional food systems and food hubs to connect producers and buyers.
• Farmigo (varies by region/availability) — farm-to-consumer and group buying marketplace style.
• Mercaris / specialty produce marketplaces — more focused on specific crops or organic products, depending on the market segment.

If you’re specifically looking for wholesale buyer connections, these are often the most relevant categories:

1. Food hubs
2. Regional wholesale produce marketplaces
3. Farm-to-school / institutional procurement platforms
4. Local food directories with buyer matching

A few good search terms:

• “regional produce marketplace”
• “local food hub wholesale”
• “farm to buyer platform”
• “specialty crop marketplace”
• “wholesale local produce network”

If you want, I can also give you:

• a list of the best platforms by crop type,
• U.S.-only options,
• or a comparison of direct-to-buyer vs food hub models.