L&M FARMS – FIVE DECADES OF EXCELLENCE FROM APPLES TO ZUCCHINI

Do you need a certain kind of vegetable in June – or maybe December? FFVA producer member L&M Farms can help.

A part of the L&M Family of companies, L&M Farms is the farming umbrella for a nationwide network of more than 50 produce specialists in more than 15 locations. The company works to ensure year-round availability of first-rate vegetables and fruits. Those include bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, potatoes, onions, apples, pears, cherries, melons, limes, mangos and other tropical fruit. Some of their offerings qualify as organic. The family of companies encompasses growers, packers, shippers and marketers offering a range of services including warehousing, distribution, transportation, information technology and more.

L&M Farms produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from the East Coast. Its Florida and Georgia farms specialize in potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, greens, and eggplant. “We got started farming in Florida back in the mid-'60s,” said Adam Lytch, grower development manager for eastern vegetables and melons. “Joe McGee and his dad were based in Raleigh but began working with growers in the Putnam County area for cabbage and potatoes. Eventually they got into the farming side of it themselves in both Putnam and Flagler counties,” Lytch said.

Adam Lytch serves as grower development manager for eastern vegetables and melons for L&M Farms.

Today, in addition to growing potatoes (reds, whites and yukons), broccoli and cabbage in those two counties, L&M grows many of its vegetables in Hendry and Collier counties. “We’re trying to diversify by spreading out the areas we’re farming in and expanding the acreage of commodities that have been successful for us,” said Lytch.  One of those successful commodities is broccoli. “We are focusing on fresh, local opportunities,” he continued. “Most broccoli is grown in California, so customers on this side of the country appreciate a product that’s produced on the East Coast.” The company owns or leases six farms in Florida alone.

All of L&M’s products are sold under the Nature’s Delight brand.

Because the company is diversified, the economic downturn hasn’t affected the broader bottom line. However, some products are trending up, and others are down. “Potatoes have picked up,” Lytch said. “Items like watermelons and cantaloupes have slowed down. Those are great products but maybe not perceived as essential in tough times.”

Weather events and the ups and downs of the marketplace are some of the challenges the company continues to face. “You have market risk and you have weather-related risk. Farms take a risk on both sides,” Lytch said, naming tropical events and freezes as recent problems. “Plus figuring out what product demand will be in several months is always interesting. There’s always the risk that you’ll lose potential market share. It takes a lot of foresight to know how much to plant and what our customers are going to want based on what you think their demands are going to be in six months,” said Lytch.

In addition to L&M Farms, other companies in the L&M Family include AG Warehouse & Packing, a group of fresh produce warehouse facilities located in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. LMTS, a transportation and logistics provider and the sales arm of the group, is simply known as L&M Companies, Inc.

Lytch says L&M stands out because of the extensive variety of commodities it produces in a wide geographic area. “We’re unique in that we handle and grow so many commodities ourselves across communities and across borders.” He also emphasizes that forming and maintaining long-term relationships contributes an enormous amount to the company’s success.

You can reach L&M Farms in Raleigh at (919) 875 – 4016 or email Adam.Lytch@LMCompanies.com. Besides L&M’s presence in Florida and Georgia, the company maintains locations in the Carolinas, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Maine, California, Texas and Arizona.