SPARKS — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue helped welcome the world’s largest producer of carrots to South Georgia Monday.

Grimmway Farms has “chosen a great community,” said Perdue, a former Georgia governor and member of President Donald J. Trump’s cabinet. “I think you’ve already experienced that. Some of the challenges you have in California, you’ll find those get smoothed out very, very quickly in a way.

“And, these people, the mayor, commissions, the council, every local elected official from the commissioner of agriculture on down to the legislature ought to bend over backward to make sure you all have an opportunity to not only survive, but to thrive and grow your business.”

Grimmway Farms held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday that will bring in four permanent jobs and 50 seasonal jobs to the Cook County area. Grimmway Farms is the largest grower, producer and shipper of carrots in the world, according to company officials.

The company farms more than 40,000 acres of carrots every year, and 40,000 acres of organic vegetables every year, said Jeff Huckaby, president and chief executive officer of Grimmway Farms. The company grows more than 65 items and employs more than 8,000 people across the country.

Including Florida and Georgia, the company is located in seven states.

The company will grow from January through May to fill a “critical time slot” because not many fruits and vegetables are grown during the winter, Huckaby said. Grimmway Farms will utilize more than 500 acres, and once the region is understood, plans to increase the acreage.

The new facility can handle about 1,000 acres of production.

The new facility represents a $5 million capital investment, according to company officials. The company expects to have an operating budget of $2.5 million.

Huckaby said he is excited to be in the Southeast and looks forward to the opportunities of the location.

“We are thrilled to be here,” Huckaby said. “Most of our production has been in California, but we’ve started to venture out as we needed to be closer to our customers on the East Coast.

“(Georgia) happens to be in the right proximity to several of our major retailers. The climate is right. The farming seems to do really well here. And the availability of ground and good farmers.

“The government and regulatory environment is really pleasant here. And having dealt with every hoop imaginable to jump through in California, it’s a little bit of a sigh of relief to be here. And everyone here realizes that farming is important and that food safety and everything that goes along with it is extremely important to us.”

After a luncheon and several speakers, Grimmway Farms offered a tour of the building. The facility is currently operating. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.