Monte Vista, Colorado – R.D. Offutt Company’s potato operations in O’Neill, Nebraska, and Winnemucca, Nevada have joined forces with grower owned Farm Fresh Direct, LLC of Monte Vista, Co. to create a National Sales and Marketing Company, Farm Fresh Direct of America. With the addition of these operations, Farm Fresh Direct is now the largest grower owned fresh potato shipper in the US.
“We’re extremely excited to have RDO as part of the Farm Fresh team. RDO has a history of being one of the best growers in the industry, and with their vast experience in agronomics, and food safety and attention to quality, they become a valuable addition to the Farm Fresh team” said Jim Knutzon, President / CEO of Farm Fresh Direct.
The two new operations bring approximately 3 million cwt to Farm Fresh, enabling Farm Fresh to be a one-stop-shop for russets, reds, gold’s, organics, fingerlings, and value-add branded products like PotatOH® microwaveable potatoes. “The two new operations will also improve our shipping point flexibility and reduce our shipping costs to many of our key customers. It also helps insure year round supply by diversifying our geographical growing locations” Knutzon added.
“Fresh potatoes have always been a very important part of our farming business,” said Keith McGovern, CEO of R.D. Offutt Company. “Most of our focus has been on processing potatoes. The partnership with Farm Fresh, along with their retail and foodservice customer base and sales and marketing expertise will greatly enhance these two operations’ future potential.”
Knutzon and McGovern added “The creation of Farm Fresh Direct of America will support the national scale of our operations versus being perceived as a regional grower/shipper.”
Farm Fresh plans to continue to expand, not only their operations, but their product portfolio, to include several PotatOH® line extensions scheduled for this fall.
R.D. Offutt Company currently farms over 190,000 acres in the US, of which 60,000 are potatoes, making RDO the largest potato grower in the US. Other operations include a 26,000 acre dairy in Oregon, and a recent 7,000 acre farming venture in Russia.
Farm Fresh Direct, LLC is the largest fresh potato shipper in Colorado and operates 6 packing operations in Colorado, two of which have just completed major upgrades and renovation in time for the 2011 season. Farm Fresh is also one of the largest organic russet growers, and fingerling growers in the US.
Source: Farm Fresh Direct, LLC
