What began in the early 1900s as a gladiolus flower farm 60 miles south of Chicago is now a group of integrated companies growing and selling fresh produce nationwide, managing logistics in the food and beverage industry, distributing fertilizer, and more.
DeGroot’s Vegetable Farms, based near St. Anne in Kankakee County, is nestled in an unincorporated area known as Wichert, established by Dutch settlers during the 1800s. Today, brothers Andrew, Adam and Aaron DeGroot represent the fourth generation of the family business and operate the vegetable farm, 4D Farm Products Sales, DeGroot Logistics and DeGroot Fertilizer. Each brother plays a different role in the different businesses.
Adam, a 2010 Loyola University graduate, spoke with Partners on behalf of the family’s farm, detailing the history and future plans.
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What has been the farm’s evolution since your grandfather raised gladiolus?
Today’s farm includes approximately 5,000 acres, and 1,500 of those grow vegetables. The rest is in corn, soybean and wheat production.
When my late father, Paul, and his late brother, Jim, became involved in the farm in the 1970s, they started the vegetable business on 10 acres. This part of the state near the Kankakee River has sandy loam soils, which are ideal for flower and vegetable production, particularly potatoes. At the time they introduced vegetables, the farm was primarily a U-pick operation, including carrots, cabbage, bell and hot peppers, and squash.
We added potatoes in the 1990s and now grow several russet, red and white varieties. We have expanded to supply customers, including wholesalers, processors, food service and grocery retailers, in the Chicagoland area and nationwide. We also maintain year-round storage capabilities in St. Anne and grow in other states.
How have you and your brothers further expanded the business?
We founded DeGroot Logistics 10 years ago, a freight brokerage based in Chicago with a presence across North America. It primarily serves the food and beverage industry. This hands-on approach with freight allows us to be more cost competitive and offer better service to our farm’s customers, especially on short turnarounds.
Our family of companies also includes 4D Farm Products Sales, which serves as the sales arm of our vegetable farm. We market our farm’s produce and partner with farms nationwide to meet customer needs rather than just sell what can be grown seasonally on our farm in Illinois. Through partnerships with farms nationwide, we offer additional produce items such as sweet potatoes, carrots and apples. This has allowed us to guarantee a stable, year-round supply of produce and better serve our customers.
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How do you protect soil and water for the future?
Sustainability on the farm starts by only growing what can be sold or consumed. Our goal is to harvest and sell everything we produce. We rotate crops and use cover crops to conserve nutrients in the soil. Andrew spearheads an innovative program that includes bioactive and carbon-based plant nutrition to promote soil health and maximize fertilizer efficiency. We use center pivot and drip irrigation systems in our vegetable fields and closely monitor water use to ensure vegetables only receive the water they need. We also maintain waterways continuously to promote drainage and limit runoff.
What are your long-term plans?
We are bullish on vegetable production in Illinois. Opportunities for potatoes are expanding, and we are working to make fresh, locally grown potatoes available to grocery retailers in Illinois. We are also expanding pepper production. Mexico is becoming a less competitive supplier, so we hope to become a more significant player this year and beyond.
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