By following the growing seasons from Florida northward and then backtracking southward, producers are able to keep their customers supplied with fresh produce throughout the year. When a grower accomplishes such a seamless movement, it is a major accomplishment.

Immokalee, FL-based Oakes Farms has recently achieved its goal of becoming a year-round supplier when it partnered with Chill C Farms in Moultrie, GA.By forming an alliance with Chill C Farms in Moultrie, GA, Immokalee, FL-based Oakes Farms has achieved its goal of becoming a year-round supplier on the East Coast.

Steve Veneziano, vice president of sales and operations for Oakes Farms, told The Produce News that the company is extremely happy to be working with Chill C Farms.

“This is our first year farming in Georgia,” said Veneziano. “This strategic partnership and expansion makes Oakes Farms a year-round grower, packer and shipper of high-quality produce.

“We’ll start by growing about 30 commodities in Georgia,” he continued. “The initial lineup consists of items such as green Bell peppers, eggplant, squashes, cabbage, tomatoes and chile peppers. We’ll ultimately have all 58-plus commodities in our line in Georgia as we continue our expansion plans going forward.”

The new partnership will provide Oakes Farms with two seasonal crops each year in the spring and fall. This year it will start movement in Georgia beginning in early October and running through the end of November.

Chill C Farms is a young but rapidly growing company. It began about four years ago with 20 acres of squash. By 2014, those 20 acres had grown into over 400 acres of vegetable production and a 20,000-square-foot vegetable packinghouse.   

“We are currently under construction at Chill C’s location to jointly build a new facility and cooler,” added Veneziano. “It is scheduled to be completed in September in time for the fall season. Chill C Farms is Primus-certified at its farms and packinghouse, as will be the new facility.”

Oakes Farms is one of the larger independently owned agribusiness operations in South Florida. It maintains a diversified portfolio of services that reach a global market and include farming, packing, shipping, retail markets, and foodservice and seafood distribution.

“Our business was founded on a promise to support friends and neighbors in their pursuit to live healthy lives,” said Veneziano. “In our farming division, we grow in a manner that respects the long-term health of the environment, the land, our partners and the community. These commitments continue to be our motivation in every aspect of our business.”

Oakes Farms created its label, Seed to Table, to illustrate the company’s innovative agribusiness model.

“We are committed to these values and will provide a quality service unparalleled in the industry,” he added.

Around 35-40 percent of Oakes Farms customers are retailers and around 30 percent are foodservice operators, with the remainder comprising  wholesalers and processors.

Oakes Farms’ repack center in Immokalee enables it to better service customers. It also has its own fleet of trucks numbering into the multi-dozens of units.

The company partners with M. D’Ottavio Produce Inc., headquartered in Vineland, NJ, for its New Jersey program. Next year it will begin a deal in North Carolina.

“We are thrilled to fill in this missing link in our supply chain,” said Veneziano, “and we know our customers will be just as thrilled to know they’ll be getting the same high quality and outstanding service they always get from Oakes Farms with our Georgia program.”