About the Company

Garden Fresh Vegetables was organized with a group of core investors as a Limited Liability Company that now operates a 24 acre greenhouse located in O’Neill, NE. The goal of the group of investors, led by Marv Fritz, is to enhance the economic viability of the community by adding value to products in this area and by increasing job opportunities.

The company competes in the hydroponic vegetable/fruit business; producing and selling fresh tomatoes and cucumbers year round. The greenhouse process is designed to ripen produce naturally, not through artificial chemicals.

This region offers a sizable market for fresh tomatoes due to a developing Midwest demand for local produce combined with a beneficial transportation infrastructure using Nebraska’s central location.

The climate has proven to be exceptional for growing hydroponic crops due to favorable factors such as daylight levels and the abundance of clean and neutral water. Minimal pH adjustment is necessary therefore, it has none of the detrimental chemicals that are found at most other greenhouse locations in the USA or Europe. In addition, this region also has physical advantages over the southern continent production attributable to the lack of extreme heat at this latitude, and a lack of problem insects which helps to produce higher quality plants and fruits.

Garden Fresh Vegetables’ ideal customer is the grocery store that caters to the quality conscious consumer. Long-term relationships built with these stores presents the company with a continuous delivery chain to the final customer.

The management team that operates the greenhouse prides themselves with a consistent production of high-quality fresh produce. By focusing on quality, excellent customer service, and efficient production, Managers and Owners believe a long-term, strong demand for hydroponic produce will be successfully sustained.

Employees

We employ approximately 114 full-time employees year-around, about 135 at peak production in the summer on site and another 8 in Omaha for our wholesale and retail operations there.

Crops

We are currently growing about 60% beefsteak tomatoes with 34% in Vine tomato production and another 6% in specialty tomato and cucumber production. This varies between years, and is dependent upon market needs.

Product Marketing

We market all of our produce directly from our facility. Our main market area is in a diamond shape from North Platte NE to Kansas City MO to Des Moines IA to Sioux Falls SD. We market most of this as wholesale produce directly to stores. We have a retail operation in Omaha that is a year-round Farmers Market. Excess production is marketed into the Detroit and Denver markets.

Management Team

• Marv Fritz - Operations Manager
• Mark Bauer - Director of Sales - Regional
• John McGuire - Director of Sales - Metro
• Ole Sommersted - Head Grower
• Kirsa Sommersted - Assistant Grower
• Rick Karnes - Packhouse Manager
• Dave Latzel - Maintenance
• Robyn Frank - Accounting
• Jody Fritz - Metro Liasion

Why Buy Our Produce?

• Locally Grown – plants grown in O’Neill, Nebraska
• Herbicide Free – No herbicides used on the plants
• Naturally Pollinated – Bumblebees are used for plant pollination
• Environmentally Friendly – Help reduce global warming by consuming CO2, not releasing into atmosphere
• Biologically Controlled – by beneficial insects
• No Genetic Modifications – plants naturally grown from seed
• Vine Ripened