There's a lot of behind-the-scenes action that goes into getting our Ocean Mist Farms produce from our field to your table. Just ask Jacob Perez, the Harvest Commodity Manager who oversees our Brussels Sprouts and specialty crop growth and production at the field level.
What does Jacob's day-to-day job look like? Keep reading to find out!
1. What is your current job title?
Different Harvest Commodity Managers manage different Ocean Mist Farms crops. I am the Harvest Commodity Manager for all conventional and organic Brussels Sprouts and specialty "chimichanga" items like Sweet Baby Broccoli, Cardone, Rapini, Kale, and Cilantro just to name a few.
2. What's your role as a Harvest Commodity Manager?
My role is to ensure product quality, safety and product readiness at the field level. I’m also responsible for providing regular 4 to 5 week product projection estimates for each commodity in each of our growing areas. These projections anticipate how different variables like weather, growing conditions, and prior field history will affect our product supply, and possibly our product price.
3. Who do you work with on a daily basis?
I communicate between all the Growing, Harvesting, Sales, Receiving, and Logistics departments. This is where our collaborative team work, planning, coordination and knowledge of crops all come into play.
I work very closely with Logistics because product arrival times from the fields to the cooler allows our Logistics team to book customer trucks with specific loading times. I also work very closely with the Sales team because they base their day-to-day sell price on what I forecast for the upcoming 4 to 5 weeks.
4. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A firefighter.
5. Who is your hero?
My mom.
6. What is your personal motto?
Teamwork!
7. What is your hidden talent?
I like to ride dirt bikes!
8. What is your most prized possession?
My fiancé and kids. They are my world!
9. What is your favorite movie?
Harry and the Hendersons
10. What do you never leave the house without?
Definitely my cell phone, probably one of the biggest necessities for my job.
