even Ceccarelli, owner of Farm Fresh Produce, estimated that their sweet potato production this year will be less than what it was last year, he's confident his company will be able to satisfy customer demand. He's confident because the strategy Farm Fresh has followed throughout its existence has allowed it maintain close relationships with both growers and customers throughout the world. With that level of diversification, he believes that they'll not only be ok this year, but they'll thrive.“Compared to last year, we'll have half the yields,” said Ceccarelli. “But because we have so many relationships, we're confident we'll be able to offer product on a year-round basis.” The relationships he mentioned are those with domestic growers and packers with whom he's worked so well that they recommend Farm Fresh to fellow grower-packers. Being able to forge deals with new domestic producers will certainly help shore up yield deficiencies, but it's not just partnerships with U.S. growers that Ceccarelli cultivates; he also makes a point to keep the lines of communication open with those abroad.
“We acknowledge that it's a global market,” said Ceccarelli. “We grow sweet potatoes in Mississippi and North Carolina, so if there's a hurricane in one state, we still have production from the other state. But if there's a hurricane in both places, then that's why we want to have relationships with other countries as well.” That openness is also of benefit when it comes to satisfying the demands of retail customers.
“We get a lot of demand from retail customers wanting new things,” said Ceccarelli. “We can give them those new things, and that's what makes us innovative and differentiates us from our competitors.” That innovation means sourcing new varieties from different countries, varieties like purple-skinned potatoes from Portugal or Indonesian varieties that seem to just ooze honey flavor. But whatever the variety, the emphasis is on broadening their view of the market, and that mindset has resulted in strong growth for Farm Fresh since it's inception.
“We've seen growth of 25 percent every year since our company was established,” said Ceccarelli. “And a lot of that has been due to continued growth in foreign markets.”
For more information:
Steven A. Ceccarelli
Farm Fresh Produce
Tel: +1 910-508-8933
[email protected]
www.farm-fresh-produce.com
