J&D Produce keeps food safety at the forefront of its operations.

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After growing up in the produce business in the Northeast, husband-and-wife team Jimmy and Diane Bassetti knew they could deliver unique products to customers in other parts of the country when they started their own operation in 1984.

After moving to Edinburgh, Texas, the couple started J&D Produce as a broker serving customers throughout the country.

The Bassettis focused initially on the many mixed greens that were popular throughout the Northeast, but which were lacking in supply in Texas.

“Coming from New Jersey to Texas, we noticed that the greens we were accustomed to weren’t available,” Bassetti says. “We wanted to promote and increase the consumption of those greens, such as dandelion greens and other bundled greens, and we tried to find ways to promote that.”

The company developed the Little Bear label in its first year of business to market its products, which also included herbs, parsleys, cilantro, kale, collard greens and mixed vegetables.         Although J&D Produce grew its crops on only 200 acres during its first year, it grew to own more than 7,000 acres in Texas, plus a 3,500-acre operation in Mexico.
 
Quality is Key
The firm’s focus on delivering quality products drives its success, Bassetti says. “My father always taught me that quality was the most important thing in serving customers,” he explains. “We focus on listening to them and providing the products with the high level of quality that they demand.”

J&D Produce was also the first in the industry to develop a “flag tag” for its produce, which bundles the product with clear identification, a UPC code and even popular recipes that incorporate the product.

The company developed the system in 1991, and continues to create new recipes to rotate on each product. “We’re always trying to find ways to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as much as we can,” Bassetti says.

Providing recipes on the label of new products has helped promote fresh vegetables to consumers who may not be accustomed to cooking with them.

“We started realizing that the older generations cooked a lot at home, but later, people started going out to dinner more often,” Bassetti says. “Now, not as many people know what to do with the product, so adding these recipes and suggestions to the tag really helps.”

Building Relationships
The company’s 15-year-old strategic partnership with Texas A&M University remains strong today.
    The company hired Carlos Lazcano, Ph.D., to head this partnership, working with local chemical manufacturers and seed companies for research and development purposes.
    Since 1998, he has also been responsible for working with contract growers when new crops are developed.
    “He’s been a huge part of our success in our growing operations in Mexico, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey,” Bassetti says.
    “He’s also been instrumental in our new product development efforts.”
    One of the company’s most popular product is its Honey Sweet Onion, which is one of the mildest onions available on the market – but only after extensive R&D efforts.
    “This is the most mild onion we’ve ever tested,” Bassetti says.
    “It was in development since the early 1980s, but we just invested a lot of money in this product, and it’s probably our No. 1 seller right now.”

Food 911
Food safety is the company’s No. 1 concern, and J&D Produce continues to invest heavily in training and quality assurance practices, Bassetti says. “We have a food safety director, and spend quite some time on food safety on the front end of the process,” he explains.

Keeping food safety at the forefront of its operations is even more important in today’s industry, where clients will accept nothing but the most high-quality products. “Customers want products with good quality, but ones with a good shelf life, too,” Bassetti says.

“Making sure this happens comes with a lot of hard work, but we’re all willing to put in the hours and satisfy that need.”

Employees are motivated to excel at J&D Produce, and enjoy a strong family culture that rewards hard work, Bassetti says. “We place the priority on family first,” he explains. “The company started with just my wife and I as a family owned operation, and that’s the culture that we want to instill here.”

The company is also very much involved in the community, and regularly donates product to area schools, churches and charity events.

In the future, the company plans to grow without compromising quality or the family oriented culture. “We want to be known as the best, not the biggest,” Bassetti asserts.