Lonnie Gillespie is chief organic officer at Farm Fresh Direct of America, a potato grower/packer/shipper based in Monte Vista, Colorado. Founded in 1999, Farm Fresh Direct is owned by a group of multigenerational potato growers and is one of the largest fresh market conventional and organic potato companies in the US. Lonnie joined OPN for a conversation about her background in produce, last year's organic potato crop, Farm Fresh Direct’s plans for the future, and more.

Lonnie Gillespie, Chief Organic Officer, Farm Fresh Direct of America

How did you get your start in the produce industry?

When I was 19, I started working as a full-charge bookkeeper for Valley Fresh, a company owned by Ed and Sherry Harmon in Center, Colorado. They grew organic carrots, broccoli, and potatoes. Eventually, they sold that farm, and I had the valuable experience of working in industries outside of produce. I came to Farm Fresh 19 years ago and started as the administrative assistant. I worked my way up through different positions, and during that time, I also earned a BS in marketing and an MBA. It’s been a wonderful experience to be part of this industry and work around so many great people.

In fall of 2020, you were promoted to chief organic officer—what does that position entail?

Farm Fresh Direct has a full-spectrum organic program, and in my role as chief organic officer, I oversee everything from planting to storage to packaging to shipping. I am able to strategize and plan with the growers, translate those plans into retail programs, and make them come to life with our customers.

“It’s been a wonderful experience to be part of this industry and work around so many great people.” – Lonnie Gillespie

What percent of Farm Fresh’s operation is organic?

Roughly about 9 percent (by sales volume). Our organic program has grown exponentially since it started in 2000. Organic produce sales have been growing substantially in recent years, capturing an increasing share of retail dollars. Farm Fresh recognized this trend and has devoted a great deal of emphasis to supporting the growth in demand. We’re the largest 100-percent-grower-owned fresh market organic potato operation in the US.

What organic potatoes do you offer, and when are they available?

We offer red, yellow, and russet, just like on the conventional side. And then we also have organic fingerlings. The russets have year-round availability. We typically supply organic reds from September through March, give or take a month. And we usually supply organic yellows from September through May, give or take a month. Organic fingerlings are available to our customers from about September through April.

Can you tell us about your customer base and distribution area?

Chances are if you eat potatoes, you have eaten ours! Farm Fresh has national reach and distribution. Our customers are mostly retailers, but we do have a good mix of wholesalers as well. Our team has worked hard over the years to develop a broad customer base and distribution footprint. We also ship organics to Canada.

“Our organic program has grown exponentially since it started in 2000. Organic produce sales have been growing substantially in recent years, capturing an increasing share of retail dollars.” – Lonnie Gillespie

Are all your potato growers located in the San Luis Valley (SLV) in Colorado?

They are predominantly in the SLV in Colorado—more than 75 percent—but we do also have member growers in California and Oregon and partner growers in Washington. (A member is the same as an owner at Farm Fresh, and a partner grower is not a member but someone we have an ongoing relationship with.) We like this diversification of growing areas. It gives us some ability to reduce negative weather-related impacts on our overall business. It also allows us some flexibility on the logistics side as well.

How did last year's potato crop look?

It was a little bit of a challenging growing year because of heat, which was worse in some regions than others. In our growing regions outside of Colorado, we did see some lower yields, and some of the fields had smaller sizes, and some actually had much larger sizes because of reduced sets.

We're happy with the yield and the quality in Colorado. We didn’t have quite the heat that other growing regions did. The crop in our valley experienced some effects from higher temperatures, but nothing that I would consider completely detrimental to the crop, nothing that would make our customers short. Overall, we're happy with how everything looks.

"Chances are if you eat potatoes, you have eaten ours! Farm Fresh has national reach and distribution. Our customers are mostly retailers, but we do have a good mix of wholesalers as well." – Lonnie Gillespie

Since you’re a majority-Colorado potato operation, can you tell us what makes Colorado organic potatoes special?

Here in the San Luis Valley, the average elevation of the valley floor is 7,700 feet above sea level. That gives us warm days and cooler nights, which makes for excellent growing conditions. Potatoes love it! And we have very low humidity and fewer pests than other growing areas. So all of those factors make a really good growing environment for organics because you just don't have all the tools in your toolbox to fight some issues on organic potatoes that you do on conventional. 

Does Farm Fresh plan on expanding its organic operation further?

We are looking into that now. We always want to be sure that we take care of the grower and offer the consumer a high-quality organic product the same way we always have. So when we talk about further expansion, we just want to be sure that we keep that same feel of a family-owned and operated farm—of knowing how and where all of our potatoes are grown. Quality is important to consumers who are usually paying a premium for organic produce. As we grow, that growth will be anchored in a commitment to meeting and surpassing the consumers’ quality expectations.