Specialty Crop Company

What Specialty Crop Company does

Specialty Crop Company (SpecCrop) is a family-owned agricultural operator founded in 1989 and headquartered in Madera, California, with ranch operations across Madera, Merced, and Fresno counties in the Central San Joaquin Valley. Co-owned and led by third-generation farmers Kevin Herman (farming independently since 1978) and Diane Herman, the company cultivates a diversified specialty crop portfolio anchored by fresh and dried figs — an area in which it is recognized as the nation's largest fig grower — and complemented by pistachios, almonds, pomegranates, walnuts, kiwi, persimmons, truffles, and agave. Approximately 800 acres of fig production hold CCOF organic certification, and conventional fresh figs hold PrimusGFS food safety certification; the company is also recognized as a global Top 25 Nut Grower. Sustainability practices include compost and biochar application for soil carbon sequestration (targeting up to 3 tons per acre), advanced moisture monitoring and efficient irrigation (targeting up to 30% water-use improvement and ~50% water-demand reduction versus other crops), pheromone-based pest management to reduce insecticide use, and on-farm solar generation.

The business operates a dual-revenue model combining agricultural production with a suite of professional services. Direct production covers figs, nuts, and other specialty crops; services span ranch management (with full ownership of equipment including tractors and harvesters), land acquisition facilitation (leveraging relationships with top local agricultural brokers while avoiding conflicts of interest by not employing licensed real estate staff), flexible leasing (including triple net leases and property management), venture partnerships with institutional farmland capital, nursery services for figs, pomegranates, and sourced commercial varieties, and ranch evaluation/consulting including crop assistance and insurance program guidance. Long-tenured customer and partner relationships span food processors (San Joaquin Figs, Inc., a 30-year buyer), Central Valley operators (Westside Ag), farmland investment firms (Intl Farming, Ag Partners Capital), and commercial nurseries. Revenue mechanics are quote-based with services customized per client scope, acreage, and crop mix.

Customer segments are horizontal within agriculture: agricultural landowners and investors requiring professional management or leasing, farming operations seeking management expertise or partnership, and growers/investors sourcing nursery stock. Go-to-market is enterprise field-sales driven, reinforced by broker and channel-partner referral networks and supported by event-driven and earned-media presence including California Bountiful TV features and YouTube content. Pricing is bespoke; no public tiers are published.

Name

Specialty Crop Company

Legal name

The Specialty Crop Company

Website

https://speccrop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Specialty Crop Company (SpecCrop) is a family-owned agricultural operator in California's Central San Joaquin Valley, recognized as the nation's largest fig grower and a Top 25 global nut grower, providing ranch management, land acquisition, leasing, venture partnerships, and nursery services alongside diversified specialty crop production across three counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Crop Farming

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Tree Nut Farming (111335), Nursery and Tree Production (111421)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Other Specialty & Industrial Crop Farming (Emerging/Regional Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fruit & Nut Planting Stock (Rootstocks, Nursery Trees, Vines) (AFABAFAF), Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM)

Keywords

• Specialty crop farming
• Fig production
• Ranch management services
• Tree nut cultivation
• Agricultural land leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Madera

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ranch Management Services: Comprehensive farm management from planting to harvest. Full ownership of necessary equipment including tractors and harvesters. Provides packing house relationship evaluation and management.
2. Land Acquisition Facilitation: Expert guidance and industry connections for agricultural land transactions. Leverages relationships with top local brokers for premier opportunities.
3. Land Leasing: Flexible leasing options including triple net leases and property management services. Maximizes potential of agricultural assets for landowners.
4. Nursery Services: Limited quantities of nursery figs, pomegranates, and commercial varieties. Strong relationships with commercial nurseries for sourcing.
5. Consulting Services: Ranch evaluation and consulting services for optimizing operations. Crop assistance and insurance program guidance.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Specialty Crop Company (SpecCrop) operates a family-owned specialty crop farming business producing fresh and dried figs, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pomegranates, kiwi, persimmons, truffles, and agave on ranches in California's Central San Joaquin Valley (Madera, Merced, and Fresno counties). In parallel, the company provides fee-based ranch management, land acquisition facilitation, agricultural land leasing, venture partnerships, nursery services for fig and pomegranate seedlings, and ranch consulting/advisory services for landowners, investors, and growers.

Product overview

SpecCrop (The Specialty Crop Company) is a family-owned agricultural company established in 1989, operating as a unified service and product portfolio. The company offers agricultural services including Land Acquisition, Ranch Management, Leasing, Venture Partnerships, and Nursery services, complemented by an agricultural product portfolio. The service offerings are designed to support the entire agricultural lifecycle from land acquisition through cultivation management, while the product portfolio centers on specialty crops: fresh and dried figs (the company's flagship and largest product, earning the title of nation's largest fig grower), pistachios, almonds, pomegranates, walnuts, kiwi, persimmons, truffles, and agave. The company holds approximately 800 acres of CCOF-certified organic figs and PrimusGFS certification for conventional fresh figs, positioning both organic and conventional production under a single operational umbrella. Advisory services in ranch evaluation and crop insurance complement the core offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Acquisition Expert guidance and industry connections for clients buying or selling agricultural land in California's Central San Joaquin Valley. SpecCrop maintains transparency by not employing staff with real estate licenses to eliminate broker conflicts of interest, while leveraging broker relationships to source premier opportunities.
• Ranch Management Comprehensive farming operation management from planting to harvest for agricultural landowners and investors. Includes full equipment ownership (tractors, harvesters), packing house relationship management, and operational execution designed to optimize yields and quality crops.
• Leasing Flexible agricultural land leasing options for landowners, including triple net leases and property management assistance. Designed to maximize the potential of agricultural assets for landowners who do not farm themselves.
• Venture Partnerships Collaborative agricultural ventures facilitated through SpecCrop's industry network, providing investment opportunities and partnerships for sustainable growth and agricultural advancement. Includes strategic partnerships with entities such as Intl Farming and Ag Partners Capital.
• Nursery Nursery services providing seedlings and commercial varieties of figs, pomegranates, and other specialty crops for growers and investors. Combines limited in-house production with strong relationships to source commercial varieties from partner nurseries.
• Fresh & Dried Figs Fresh and dried fig production, with approximately 800 acres CCOF-certified organic figs plus additional conventional acreage. Recognized as the nation's largest fig grower, supplied to food processors such as San Joaquin Figs, Inc.
• Pistachios Pistachio cultivation across SpecCrop's ranches in Madera, Merced, and Fresno counties. Contributes to the company's recognition as a global Top 25 Nut Grower.
• Almonds Almond production within SpecCrop's diversified specialty crop portfolio, operated alongside other nuts and fruits with PrimusGFS certification for fresh produce.
• Walnuts Walnut cultivation as part of the company's diversified specialty crop portfolio.
• Pomegranates Pomegranate cultivation, with availability through SpecCrop's nursery services and commercial growing operations for growers and investors.
• Kiwi Kiwi fruit cultivation included in SpecCrop's diversified agricultural product offerings.
• Persimmons Persimmon cultivation as part of the company's specialty crop portfolio.
• Truffles Truffle cultivation as an emerging specialty crop within SpecCrop's portfolio.
• Agave Agave cultivation as part of SpecCrop's specialty crop portfolio, complemented by agave workshops in Madera County to support alternative crop development.
• Ranch Evaluation and Consulting Comprehensive ranch evaluation and consulting services drawing on decades of agricultural experience to support operation optimization and opportunity exploration for landowners and growers.
• Crop Assistance and Insurance Knowledge Expert advisory guidance on crop assistance and insurance programs, helping clients navigate eligibility requirements, claims processing, and resource maximization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon sequestration of up to 3 tons per acre in fig orchards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Intl FarmingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term farmland partnership with Intl Farming, a farmland investment company. SpecCrop serves as a top-tier tenant operating leased ground with high integrity and competence. The mutual respect has precipitated an additional long-term farmland redevelopment venture, demonstrating deep trust in Kevin Herman's leadership and team's commitment.
• Ag Partners CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Ag Partners Capital for agricultural operations. SpecCrop is described as a critical partner with evident integrity and passion. SpecCrop demonstrates deep commitment to doing right by partners, properties, and employees, earning deep trust.
• Local Agricultural BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrong relationships with top local brokers for agricultural real estate. SpecCrop leverages these relationships to ensure clients access to premier opportunities in agricultural land transactions. Maintains transparency by not employing staff with real estate licenses to eliminate conflicts of interest.
• Westside AgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Westside Ag for Central Valley agriculture operations. SpecCrop and Kevin Herman have become one of Westside Ag's most trusted and capable partners.
• San Joaquin Figs, IncminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term supplier relationship spanning three decades. Kevin L. Herman supplies California dried figs with consistent quality and timely deliveries.
• Commercial NurseriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrong relationships with commercial nurseries to source commercial varieties for clients. Complements in-house nursery services for figs and pomegranates.
• California Fresh Fig Growers AssociationminorOthersIndustry association member supporting the fresh fig industry.
• California Fig Advisory BoardminorOthersIndustry advisory board for California figs.
• American Pistachio GrowersminorOthersIndustry association member for pistachio growers.
• California Almond BoardminorOthersIndustry association member for almond producers.
• California Leafy Greens Marketing AgreementminorOthersFood safety certification and marketing agreement member.
• Madera County Farm BureauminorOthersLocal farm bureau member for Madera County.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialty-crop-co

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Specialty Crop Company