Cal-Organic Farms

What Cal-Organic Farms does

Cal-Organic Farms, founded in 1984 by the Duncan Family on a quarter acre in Lamont, California, is the largest organic vegetable producer in the United States as of 2023. The company grows more than 65 seasonal and year-round organic vegetable varieties — spanning carrots, potatoes, leafy greens, brassicas, herbs, onions, and root vegetables — across five California growing regions (San Joaquin Valley, Cuyama Valley, Cummings Valley, Coachella and Imperial Valleys, and Antelope Valley), enabling year-round production on 100% USA-grown acreage. Its agronomic technology stack centers on certified-organic practices including soil health management, cover crops, crop rotation, beneficial insects for pest control, sustainable irrigation (pivot systems, pressure-sealed Certa-Set pipes), and a 4.75-megawatt solar farm that powers facilities and eliminates more than 24,000 tons of CO2 annually.

The business operates a wholesale produce model, selling certified-organic fresh and value-added vegetables (pre-cut florets, shredded carrots, rainbow medleys, carrot chips paired with dips) to tier-1 retail grocery chains including Whole Foods Market, Albertsons, Safeway, Costco, Loblaws, and Real Canadian Superstore across the United States and Canada. A small seasonal farm stand in Tehachapi, CA (June–September) provides a direct-to-consumer channel. Cal-Organic has been a division of Grimmway Farms since 2001 and holds USDA Organic, CCOF Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Orthodox Union Kosher (OU Pareve) certifications, which together serve as regulatory and brand-differentiation moats across mainstream, natural, and specialty retail channels.

Name

Cal-Organic Farms

Legal name

Cal-Organic Farms

Website

https://calorganicfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cal-Organic Farms is the largest US organic vegetable producer, growing 65+ certified-organic varieties across five California regions and distributing them through major grocery chains in the US and Canada as a division of Grimmway Farms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Vegetables

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121), Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (445230)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic & Natural Packaged Grocery Wholesale (AFAIAJAB), Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK), Organic Produce & Farm Market Retail (CRAHAEAD)

Keywords

• Organic vegetable production
• Fresh organic produce
• Certified organic farming
• Wholesale produce distribution
• Sustainable agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Produce Sales: Cal-Organic Farms generates revenue through wholesale distribution of organic vegetables to major grocery retailers across the United States and Canada. Products are sold in bulk to retail chains and then purchased by individual consumers.
2. Direct Farm Stand Sales: Seasonal direct-to-consumer sales through the company's farm stand in Tehachapi, CA (open June to September annually). Consumers purchase organic produce directly from the farm.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cal-Organic Farms grows, packs, and distributes more than 65 seasonal and year-round varieties of USDA-certified organic vegetables across multiple categories including carrots, potatoes, leafy greens, brassicas, herbs, alliums, and root vegetables. The company sells 100% USA-grown organic produce wholesale to major grocery chains throughout the United States and Canada, and operates a seasonal farm stand for direct consumer purchases in Tehachapi, CA.

Product overview

Cal-Organic Farms is the largest organic vegetable producer in the United States, offering a diverse portfolio of more than 65 seasonal and year-round organic vegetable varieties. The company's product line centers on fresh produce across multiple categories: carrots (including baby carrots, rainbow carrots, shredded carrots, bunch carrots, and carrot chips with various dips), potatoes (featuring multiple baby potato varieties like Canyon Red, Hillside Blend, Nibbles, Rainbow, and Sunshine Gold, plus gold, red, russet, and fingerling potatoes), leafy greens and lettuce (romaine, leaf, iceberg lettuce varieties, and dandelion greens), brassicas (broccoli, sweet baby broccoli, cauliflower, cauliflower florets, bok choy, cabbage), herbs (cilantro, Italian parsley, curly parsley, dill, fennel), onions (red, yellow, white onions and leeks), and root vegetables (beets, radishes, daikon). The company operates as a single unified fresh produce brand rather than a platform architecture, selling through retail channels across the United States and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Carrots Cal-Organic's organic carrot line includes baby carrots, rainbow baby carrots, bunch carrots, rainbow whole carrots, rainbow shredded carrots, shredded carrots, carrot chips, and rainbow carrot chips, offered for retail consumers seeking organic vegetable options for snacking, salads, and meal preparation.
• Organic Baby Potatoes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grimmway FarmscoreOthersCal-Organic Farms is a division of Grimmway Farms. In 2001, Cal-Organic joined Grimmway Farms to expand distribution and make quality organic produce more widely available to consumers. Grimmway Farms is the parent company providing corporate structure and resources.
• PG&EminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCal-Organic regularly partners with PG&E to participate in large-scale efficiency incentive programs for energy conservation initiatives.
• How2RecycleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCal-Organic has joined the How2Recycle label program to move toward fully store drop-off recyclable bags and curbside recyclable cartons, supporting sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fresh Express: Fresh Express is a leading packaged salads and fresh-cut vegetable brand distributed across U.S. grocery and foodservice channels. It is a direct comparable to Cal-Organic in the value-added, pre-cut, and convenience fresh produce category.
• Braga Fresh: Braga Fresh is a family-owned California grower producing organic and conventional vegetables including leafy greens, broccoli, and herbs. It is a direct regional peer to Cal-Organic in California-grown organic produce for national grocery distribution.
• Earthbound Farm: Earthbound Farm is one of the largest organic produce growers and salad brands in the United States, offering organic salads, vegetables, and fruits to grocery retailers nationwide. It is the closest direct competitor to Cal-Organic in the U.S. organic fresh vegetable category.
• Taylor Farms: Taylor Farms is a major producer of fresh-cut salads, vegetables, and packaged produce serving retail and foodservice in North America. It overlaps directly with Cal-Organic in value-added packaged organic and conventional vegetables and competes for retailer shelf space.

Broad incumbents

• Dole Food Company: Dole is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of fresh fruits and vegetables, with growing organic and packaged salad lines. It overlaps with Cal-Organic in fresh produce distribution to major North American grocery retailers.
• Del Monte Foods: Del Monte produces and distributes fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables across North America, including organic offerings. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Cal-Organic across fresh produce categories and retail grocery channels.
• Driscoll's: Driscoll's is the largest berry marketer in the world and a major organic produce brand (berries). It is a broad incumbent in the organic fresh produce space and competes with Cal-Organic for premium organic shelf space at retailers like Whole Foods.
• Grimmway Farms: Grimmway Farms is Cal-Organic's parent company and the world's largest carrot producer, with operations across conventional and organic produce. It serves as both an enabling parent and a related competitive entity, particularly in carrots and processed carrot products.

Emerging players

• Organic Valley: Organic Valley is a large farmer-owned organic cooperative, best known for dairy but expanding into organic produce and eggs. It is an emerging peer in the broader organic CPG/fresh category that competes for the same health-conscious consumer.
• Wholesum Family Farms: Wholesum Family Farms is an organic produce grower specializing in greenhouse-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other vegetables for North American retailers. It is an emerging organic grower with overlapping certification and retail-distribution credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/grimmwayfarms
• Facebookfacebook.com/CalOrganicFarms
• Instagraminstagram.com/calorganicfarms
• Pinterestpinterest.com/calorganic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cal-organic-farms

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Cal-Organic Farms