Little Bear Produce

What Little Bear Produce does

Little Bear Produce is a family-owned, vertically integrated grower-shipper and fresh-cut processor of specialty produce, operating under parent J&D Produce Inc. Founded in 1986 in Edinburg, Texas by Jimmy and Diane Bassetti, the company manages approximately 7,000 acres across three countries (United States, Mexico, Peru) and four U.S. states, producing commodity vegetables, leafy greens, melons, onions, and two proprietary branded varieties — HoneySweet tearless onions and BetaSweet maroon carrots. Revenue is generated primarily through wholesale distribution to major North American grocery chains (HEB, Walmart, Wegmans, Loblaws, Kroger, Publix) and through an expanding fresh-cut bagged greens line introduced in February 2022, supplemented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront and foodservice channels. The business is differentiated by horticultural expertise (in-house horticulturist Dr. Carlos Lazcano, Texas A&M VFIC nutritional testing, National Onion Labs pungency verification), year-round multi-region supply, and registered proprietary brands rather than by technology or scale commodity competition.

Name

Little Bear Produce

Legal name

Little Bear Produce Inc.

Website

https://littlebearproduce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Little Bear Produce is a family-owned, vertically integrated grower-shipper in Edinburg, Texas that grows, packs, ships, and fresh-cut processes specialty produce across 7,000 acres in the U.S., Mexico, and Peru, supplying major grocery chains with proprietary brands like HoneySweet tearless onions and BetaSweet carrots.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh-Cut & Value-Added Produce (Washed, Peeled, Sliced, Packaged) (AFAKAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fresh Cut / Value-Added Produce Wholesale (Pre-Cut, Packaged, Salad Kits) (AFAIACAD)

Keywords

• Fresh produce
• Grower-shipper
• Fresh-cut greens
• Specialty vegetables
• Tearless onions

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Commodity Produce Sales: Sale of fresh commodity produce including greens, melons, and onions through retail and wholesale channels. This constitutes the lion's share of business, with retail customers spanning from the Midwest to the Northeast, Canada, and major metropolitan areas including Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia.
2. Value-Added Fresh-Cut Products: Sale of pre-washed, bagged fresh-cut greens and specialty vegetables launched in February 2022. Products include 1 lb and 2 lb bags of kale, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, trio blend, arugula, and spinach. Expanded with increased capacity in November 2023.
3. Proprietary Branded Products: Premium branded products including HoneySweet® onions and BetaSweet® carrots command premium positioning. HoneySweet onions are packed in cartons (not bags) to promote their elite status and are marketed for tearless eating experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Little Bear Produce is a vertically integrated grower, packer, shipper, and fresh-cut processor of fresh produce, operating approximately 7,000 acres across three countries and four U.S. states. The company sells branded and commodity vegetables and melons — including the proprietary HoneySweet® tearless onion and BetaSweet® maroon carrot — to retail grocery chains and wholesale distributors across North America, and recently expanded into pre-washed, bagged value-added greens.

Product overview

Little Bear Produce is a year-round grower, packer, shipper, and fresh-cut processor of fresh produce, operating under parent company J&D Produce. The company manages approximately 7,000 acres of farms across three countries and four states (Edinburg TX, Deming NM, Vidalia GA, Vineland NJ, Peru, and Mexico). The product portfolio consists of three main categories: (1) Fresh commodity produce including proprietary HoneySweet Tearless Onions and Beta Sweet Maroon Carrots; (2) Fresh-cut/value-added bagged greens including collard, kale, mustard, turnip greens, and trio blends launched in February 2022; and (3) Melons including cantaloupe, honeydew, and seedless watermelons. The company also grows a wide variety of vegetables including greens and herbs (arugula, celery, cilantro, dandelion, dill, chard, parsley), cabbage family vegetables (bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, napa cabbage), root vegetables (beets, carrots, daikon, radish), onions (leeks, vidalia, honey suckle red), and other vegetables (peppers, okra, eggplant). The company expanded into organic production and maintains sustainability practices including recyclable packaging, drip irrigation, and food waste reduction partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HoneySweet® Onions: Proprietary tearless onion variety developed by the company. A Little Bear exclusive, known as the mildest onion on the market with low pungency levels.
• BetaSweet® Maroon Carrots
• Cooking with Spinach

Products and services

• HoneySweet® Onions Proprietary branded tearless onion variety, a Little Bear exclusive marketed as the mildest onion on the market with all the sweet flavor and none of the pungent bite. Pungency level of 3.5 or less.
• BetaSweet® Maroon Carrots Proprietary maroon carrot with deep purple-red hue, containing approximately 40% more beta carotene than orange carrots along with flavonoid compounds from antioxidant anthocyanin.
• Fresh-Cut Bagged Greens Pre-washed, bagged value-added greens including collard, kale, mustard, turnip greens, and Greens Trio blend, available in 1 lb and 2 lb packages for convenient at-home use.
• Cooking with Spinach Specially grown teen spinach bred for cooking applications (sautéing, soups, smoothies) rather than salads — tender yet hearty, pre-washed and ready to use, high in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K.
• Melons (Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Seedless Watermelon) Cantaloupe, honeydew, and seedless watermelons grown in South Texas, marketed for sweetness and refreshing flavor with high water, vitamin, and mineral content.
• Texas-Grown Greens and Herbs Bulk fresh greens and herbs grown in the Rio Grande Valley, including collard greens, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, arugula, spinach, parsley, cilantro, dill, Swiss/Rainbow/Red/Green chard, dandelion, and methi (fenugreek) leaves. Known for superior flavor and long shelf life.
• Cabbage Family Vegetables Bok choy, broccoli crown, cabbage, kohlrabi, and napa cabbage — staple vegetables for both raw and cooked applications across cuisines.
• Root Vegetables Beets, golden beets, daikon, and radish — versatile root vegetables with high nutritional value and earthy or peppery flavor profiles.
• Other Vegetables (Peppers, Eggplant, Okra) Cuban, Hungarian, and long hot peppers; Sicilian eggplant; and okra — versatile vegetables for Mediterranean, Latin, and global cuisines.
• Celery Hand-picked celery known for crunch and flavor.
• Other Sweet Onions (Vidalia, Honey Suckle Red, Leeks) Vidalia sweet onions (Georgia), Honey Suckle red onions, and leeks — sweet and mildly pungent allium varieties for raw or cooked use.
• Citrus Fruit (Key Limes and Limes) Key limes and regular limes with distinctive tart, acidic flavor and high Vitamin C content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Onion sales increased by 26% in 2015-16 season and additional 10% in 2016-17
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Driscoll Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2024Little Bear Produce developed the Little Bear Produce Child Life Endowment with Driscoll Children's Hospital Rio Grande Valley. The endowment supports development of healthful programming and play activities for children in South Texas. Driscoll Children's Hospital is designated children's hospital with focus on lifesaving care, groundbreaking research, and cutting-edge treatments. The new Rio Grande Valley location opened in May 2024.
• World Food ChampionshipscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 October 2019Little Bear Brand served as Official World Burger Championship Infusion Sponsor for WFC's 8th Annual event in Dallas, Texas. Top Ten Burger competitors infused HoneySweet onions into burger creations for $10,000 prize. Company provided cooking and flavor insights.
• Texas A&M University Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center (VFIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFIC tests produce varieties for nutritional value including micronutrients. Led by Dr. Bhimu Patil, the center specializes in health-promoting compounds in fruits and vegetables. J&D Produce sends varieties for testing and uses results for marketing, education, and variety selection decisions.
• National Onion Labs, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for continuous testing of onion pyruvic acid levels to measure sweetness. Through this partnership, HoneySweet onions are tested to verify their consistently mild pungency levels.
• Imperfect Produce DistributorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnering with Imperfect Produce distributors to send produce that doesn't make retail shelves to organizations supporting food insecurity. This reduces food waste while supporting communities.
• Stacey Mattinson (Certified Dietitian)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocally popular certified dietitian blogger and home chef who consults with J&D Produce team and develops recipes and digital content. Created Retail Dietitian Guides profiling specific vegetables with cooking instructions and health benefits.
• Viva Fresh Produce ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLittle Bear Produce leadership, particularly Jimmy Bassetti, helped transform this regional Texas produce show into a national health and wellness showcase attracting buyers from HEB, Walmart, Wegmans, Loblaws, Kroger, Publix and others across the US and Canada.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LittleBearProduce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/j&d-produce
• Instagraminstagram.com/littlebearproduce
• Pinterestpinterest.com/littlebearproduce
• Xx.com/littlebeartx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Little Bear Produce