DeFranco embarks on organic corn deal
DeFranco embarks on organic corn deal
One way to stay in business for nearly 100 years is to always be open to new and innovative ideas. This summer, DeFranco & Sons, which was established in 1916, will begin supplying organic corn to Southern California retailers.
According to Vice President of Sales Jerry DeFranco, “This is definitely something new for us, but we decided it was a good time to start down the organic road to see where it takes us. There is not a lot of organic corn grown, and when it is, it’s certainly not an easy crop to grow.”
He added, “Organic corn is sprayed with organic chemicals, which are not harsh, but growing can be very tricky. The yields often are not as good, but we thought this was a good time to get our feet wet and see what happens. It’s very exciting to be involved with this.”
DeFranco met a Colorado corn grower at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit last fall. “After talking with him for while, he was interested in working with us so we decided to mutually try to do this venture together. The program will not be a huge one at first and should run from the beginning of August into the early part of September,” DeFranco said.
But he is optimistic about this first venture into the organic corn business. “We have had very good interest from a number of chain stores in the Southern California area,” he said.
He added that other produce companies who deal with organic products are also interested.
According to DeFranco, the corn will be sold in packages and in bulk.
“We will pack the traditional 48-ear bulk,” he continued. “In addition, we will supply either a two or three-pack depending on cost. Organic corn is definitely more expensive than conventional corn due to the difficulty in growing it. It’s very cool being involved in this process.”
DeFranco & Sons has a long history of innovation, including being the first tomato re-packer on the West Coast to package tomatoes in tube trays.
The company has provided quality packaged produce to Southern California’s most prominent chain stores for more than 50 years.
The new organic corn venture goes hand in hand with DeFranco & Sons entrepreneurial tradition and nature.
Jerry, along with brothers Paul and Richard, are the third generation of this family-owned business, and they bring with them a combination of more than eight decades of experience to the industry.
