Grapeman Farms looks to Latin America
Grapeman Farms looks to Latin America
Officials at Grapeman Farms are focusing a lot of their attention on Latin America, confident that expanding its footprint in this region will continue to allow them to meet customer demand for consistent year-round supply and to align with regions that offer competitive production economics and access to newer, higher-performing varieties.
The Southern California-based company, founded in 1974, is a table grape sales, marketing and production-management platform that works with independent growers across multiple origins.
“What began as a California-based farming and marketing company has evolved over the decades into a globally integrated marketing organization serving growers and retailers year-round,” said Stephen Harmer, vice president of sales and marketing. “Today, GMF provides production management, marketing and distribution services to growers in California, Mexico, Peru and Chile.”
Harmer noted that the company has built a reputation as one of the industry’s leading table grape sales and marketing platforms by focusing on long-term grower relationships, disciplined supply chain execution and close collaboration with retail customers.
“As the global grape industry has evolved, so has Grapeman Farms’ strategy,” he added. “Looking ahead, GMF expects to further deepen its involvement in Latin America and ultimately transition toward direct farming operations in select regions.”
Peru, for example, has become a cornerstone origin for GMF. “The Peruvian table grape industry has changed dramatically over the past decade,” Harmer said. “What initially developed as a complementary supply origin — designed to bridge the gap between California and Chile — has become the preferred source of supply for many North American retailers from December through March.
“This shift has been driven by several structural advantages,” Harmer continued. “Peru offers more consistent quality, a higher percentage of newer and more desirable varieties and a production system that aligns well with modern retail expectations. From a customer standpoint, Peruvian grapes provide reliable volume, strong eating quality and consistency across programs.”
Chile also remains a critical winter supply origin for table grapes and continues to play an important role in the global grape calendar. Chilean production spans multiple regions, beginning in the north and progressing south as the season advances, which provides a long harvest window.
“Peru increasingly competes directly with northern Chile, where Peru holds several competitive advantages, including a higher concentration of preferred varieties, the absence of fumigation requirements, and more consistent overall quality,” he said. “These factors have shifted a growing share of early-season retail demand toward Peru.”
Chile then becomes the primary source of supply later in the winter and early spring, serving as the essential bridge until Mexican production begins in May.
“From Grapeman Farms’ perspective, having both origins is not about choosing one over the other, but about assembling a complementary supply portfolio that allows retailers to maintain continuity, manage risk and offer grapes to consumers 52 weeks a year.”
Harmer said that, like the broader industry, Grapeman Farms will continue to evolve and the future will require increased focus on Latin America as production economics, labor availability and varietal development increasingly favor those regions.
“As labor costs in California continue to pressure margins, it is reasonable to expect a higher percentage of U.S. grape consumption to be supplied from Latin America — a trend already visible across many labor-intensive commodities,” he noted. “To remain competitive, Grapeman Farms intends to scale its Latin American volume while maintaining strong customer relationships and disciplined execution. Technology will play an important supporting role, particularly in areas such as production forecasting, supply chain coordination, quality management and data-driven decision-making.”
Grapeman Farms is also focused on alignment — between growers, retailers and consumers. “The company believes long-term success comes from matching the right varieties, regions and timing with market demand, while maintaining transparency and trust across the supply chain,” Harmer said. “As the grape industry continues to consolidate and globalize, GMF sees its role as a steady, experienced partner capable of adapting while staying grounded in fundamentals.”
