Porterville, CA, (February 20, 2023) — Over the last few months, Homegrown Organic Farms BB #:161459 has been
busy outlining the details to bring HBF International (HBFI) BB #:275216 into their growing berry category.
Combining decades of berry sales and marketing expertise, Homegrown is building a complete berry program by expanding into conventional blueberries and adding blackberries, currants, cranberries, and the kiwi berry.
Homegrown Organic Farms was founded with a purpose of stewardship to land and people. Their founding families were among the first citrus growers in California to go organic when they transitioned their family farm in 1989. Today, the company announces an expansion that will bring a path for transitional organic fruit in the future, better logistic solutions, and berry category innovations for Homegrown’s growers and customers.
Scott Mabs, CEO of Homegrown Organic Farms explains “By moving into the conventional space, Homegrown will have a solution for transitional organic fruit and provide customers with more complete logistic solutions and expanded product offerings HBF International’s quality growers and customer base will be a wonderful addition to the Homegrown family.”
With the addition of HBFI, Homegrown is creating a comprehensive berry category that will have a full line of product offerings and bring innovation through the introduction and growth of the kiwi berry and the licensing that HBFI holds. The kiwi berry is a miniature variety of kiwifruit that is about the size of a grape.
They are fuzz-free and are rich in vital nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. Doug Perkins, the owner of HBFI, states that “with this change, we will create an all-inclusive berry program that is prepared to bring innovation and quality to our customers.”
HBFI has grown, packed, and shipped conventional berries to the market for more than 40 years. Doug and members of the HBFI team will bring their many years of experience to the Homegrown Organic Farms team.
Tree Fruit and Blueberry Category Director, Stephen Paul comments, “We are excited to expand our berry category and provide unique options for our growers, customers, and consumers. We are looking forward to growing the Homegrown family.”
Homegrown will launch its expanded program with California blueberries starting in April. Both companies look forward to combining their years of experience to bring a berry program full of exciting offerings to the market.
ABOUT HOMEGROWN ORGANIC FARMS — Located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, Homegrown Organic Farms is an organic fresh produce marketing company that represents more than 100 growers and over 7,000 acres of organic produce. The company was started in 1998 by John and Cindy France and transitioned to employee-owned in 2021. Visit hgofarms.com to learn more.
CONTACT:
Elise Smith, Marketing Manager
559-306-1777
marketing@hgofarms.com
