Hugh H Branch, INC

About Hugh H Branch, INC

Owners
Brett Bergmann
Dan Shiver

Sales:
Gary Stafford
Robby Carter
Justin Shiver
Josh Wanless

"We DO NOT market Products Grown With
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)"

Here at Hugh Branch, we believe not only in the quality of our products, but in the emotion that a positive eating experience evokes. As a family owned and operated company we believe in hard work and integrity. Since 1957 we have gradually grown our business to expand our sweet corn operations throughout the United States, add additional commodities like leafy greens and green beans and slowly and steadily deliver on a promise of quality. From our business to yours we recognize that our reputation is only as good as each delivery we make.

As the country’s largest distributor of sweet corn we have taken a position rooted in quality, but focused on service. We continue to advance the interests of our growers and our customers through state of the art breeding, food safety, production, packing and shipping.

When it comes to service we know that our people make the difference. With a well-rounded and experienced staff we bring over 200 years of experience in the areas of production, sales and marketing that allow us to be an innovative marketer.

Quality is the pillar of our product line whether it’s our sweet corn program, our green bean program or our leafy green program. All programs offer a variety of pack sizes and options that allow you to make Hugh Branch a one stop shop. In addition we also can arrange for FTL or LTL transportation to assist with all you delivery needs of our high quality products.




Food Safety Is In The Front of Our Mind

When we say quality is important…that translates not only into a positive eating experience…but also a safe experience for our consumers. We take food safety seriously and place a high priority on daily food safety management.

As a critical priority for us we have all of our packing facilities third party certified by Primus. We also work closely with all of our growers, field workers and packing house employees to teach best practices for food safety in the areas of production, harvesting, packaging, shipping, cold chain and worker hygiene and safety.



Sweet Corn

Everybody remembers going to the local farmers market or sweet corn patch to pick fresh bulk corn for dinner. Still in it’s husks and fresh from the field, your taste buds watered just thinking about it.

While new value added packaging is bringing new users into the category, bulk is still king and the core of our business. Our bulk container business allows you to offer your consumers that fresh from the field corn every day. We offer bulk, wire bound crates or RPC’s, but most important we are flexible…so let us know what you need and we’ll do our best to accommodate.



Gourmet Extra Sweet

The pride and joy of the Hugh Branch sweet corn program is our Gourmet Extra Sweet Corn line. We pack 100% supersweet varieties and we use a proprietary packing process that provides extended shelf life of up to 16 days on our overwrap packaged sweet corn.




Green Beans

As one of the largest green bean grower/shippers in the United States we offer a year round growing and sourcing solution. In addition to our sweet corn production, green beans are a cornerstone of our program. We offer round snap green beans, KY pole beans and wax beans. Retail snipped green packages. And whole bean offerings

With all of our programs quality and service are paramount. To meet your needs we offer a variety of bulk and value added packages.



Leafy Greens

As a means of maximizing our production locations and offering additional services to our customers we also offer a variety of leafy greens out of Florida and cabbage from Colorado. These products are available in the “Pro Farms” and “Sakata” labels.




Some Quick Corn References from Us To You

Sweet corn is fairly hardy and can be stored without refrigeration for short periods of time…
but it’s COOL to be COLD.
For the best tasting corn,
refrigeration will help Gourmet sweet corn retain its tender texture and sweet flavor.


• Sweet corn should be stored and displayed between 33 degrees F to 36 degrees F for optimum quality.
• Corn can have a shelf life of up to a week or more, but will taste best when sold within 2-3 days and consumed within another 1-4 days.
• When displaying corn in the husks, you can trim the ears for a neater appearance.
• Remember corn contains a lot of water and can lose moisture quickly. Corn should have smooth kernels without dents.

Not only does corn taste good, but it’s good for you.

Corn is….
• Low in Fat
• Sodium Free
• Cholesterol Free
• And a good source of Vitamin C
This healthy food low in fat, when combined with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.

In addition to tasting delicious, corn offers heart healthy benefits offered by its low fat, sodium free nutrition profile, as well as a well-rounded diet rich in fruits and vegetables that may help reduce the risk of heart disease or high blood pressure, as well as helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels




Some Quick Green Bean References From Us To You


Availability/Seasonality
Over the years green beans have become a cornerstone of our program and we have added production throughout the United States to provide you with a consistent supply of quality green beans.
Varieties
To offer you a full service bean program we offer Round Snap Beans, KY Pole Beans and Wax Beans.

Grade Standards
Green Beans for the fresh market are graded as fancy, US #1 and US #2.
• U.S. Fancy:All beans are similar in size. They are firm and free from damage, decay or other foreign matter. Not more than 10% may be out of grade.
• U.S. #1: All beans are of reasonable size and fairly well formed and free from decay or damage. Not more than 13% may be out of grade.
• U.S. #2: All beans are fairly fresh and not overmature and free from decay and serious damage. Not more than 15% may be out of grade.


Handling & Storage

Green beans are very sensitive and appropriate handling will boost sales and reduce shrink. Green beans lose water quickly and should be stored in refrigerated racks and misted frequently. Displays should be refreshed frequently if they are not stored under refrigeration on a wet rack.

Nutrition

Not only do green beans taste good, but they are good for you.

Green Beans are….
• Fat Free
• Saturated Fat Free
• Sodium Free
• Cholesterol Free
• Low in Calories
• And a good source of Fiber and Vitamin C



Our Quality Branch Growers

R.C.Hatton Farms, Inc.
Pahokee, FL

E.L. Pope Farms, Inc.
Pahokee, FL

J.E.M. Farms, Inc.
Belle Glade, FL

Integrity Farms, Inc.
Wellington, FL

Growers Management, Inc.
Belle Glade, FL

Wright Farms, Inc.
Homestead, FL

Vito Strano Farms, Inc.
Homestead, FL

Riverview Plantation, Inc.
Camilla, GA

Longleaf Ridge Farms, Inc.
Camilla, GA

Jet Farms of Georgia, Inc.
Camilla, GA

DDAG, Inc.
Sumner,GA

Sakata Farms, Inc.
Brighton, CO

Performance Packaging, LLC
Belle Glade, FL





An Interview with Owner Brett Bergmann

Spring corn, beans escape winter freeze disruption

03/11/2014 01:16:00 PM
Doug Ohlemeier


BELLE GLADE, Fla. — Though late January cold severely damaged winter production, buyers can still expect normal supplies of south Florida corn and green beans.



A January freeze that destroyed Palm Beach County winter production isn’t expected to disrupt this year’s spring sweet corn crop.

Early spring volume, however, should be lighter than normal, grower-shippers report.

The cold harmed early spring plantings, pushing the deal’s usual late March start into April, said Jon Browder, sales manager for Pioneer Growers Co-op.

Spring corn harvesting should start in a slow way during the first part of April but become heavier toward Easter, which this year falls on April 20, he said.

“The corn looks good, and everything’s coming on,” he said in late February. “Barring any further weather problems, big volume should start in mid-April, and we should be going full-blast after Easter. With Easter being late, we hope to have good volume through Memorial Day weekend.”

After a late March freeze, production last spring hit the market at the same time in late April and nearly cut Florida’s season in half, Browder said.

Young spring plantings weren’t affected by the first and second January cold snaps, and Belle Glade should produce normal spring supplies, said Brett Bergmann, co-owner of South Bay-based Hugh H. Branch Inc.

In mid-March, Branch’s growers plan to be through harvesting the freeze-damaged corn and expect to start harvesting some of the post-freeze corn in a light way, he said in late February.

“Barring any additional weather problems, we ought to have a really good crop of corn come early April,” Bergmann said. “We will have good volume and be ready to promote. The corn looks really good. We have had good-sized winter fancy corn, and we had a decent winter crop other than the freeze-damaged corn.”