Where is Anna Sara visiting this week?
Anna Sara is visiting a farm that was founded in 1983 during an agricultural depression by a man with a big vision. Mr. Bradley O’Neal and his wife, Louise, wanted to build a long-lasting legacy that would outlive the family and benefit the public by providing flavorful, nutritious, high-quality produce to the public. Through hard work, determination, dedication and loyalty, the O’Neal family and employees are accomplishing that dream one day at a time at Coosaw Farms.
When Bradley O’Neal launched his vision and started Coosaw, he was not new to farming. He grew up on his granddaddy and daddy’s farm in Fairfax, spending countless hours working the fields, picking watermelons, and acting as flagman for the crop dusters, among other tasks. He attended Clemson on a football scholarship, playing split end under coach Frank Howard, and graduated with a degree in Agronomy. He left the farm to pursue a career as a loan officer, working for the Federal Land Bank in Georgia and North Carolina. Along the way, he met his wife Louise and started a family. Eventually, they moved back to South Carolina, settling in Fairfax, where the vision became reality.
Bradley attributes the lessons he learned on the football field: discipline, determination, perseverance, intuition, integrity, efficiency, loyalty, collaboration, and teamwork, as being the keys to his success. He has incorporated all those principles into his farming game plan. He understands it takes a good team that works well together, and that it is imperative that each team member works to his/her best ability towards a common goal. Just as in football, a team is only as strong as its weakest link, making it essential that every member is equipped, supported, and encouraged to perform at their highest level. These principles were instilled in his son, Brad, who is co-owner of the farm.
The O’Neals’ commitment to investing in employee development is reflected in Coosaw’s mission statement: “Grow every employee to reach their full potential.” By investing in their people, they have built a team of capable, motivated, and united employees — creating lasting success, growing the farm and growing the men and women of Coosaw.
Before a team of employees or a large farming operation was realized, Bradley purchased 52 acres of land on the outskirts of Fairfax and named it Coosaw after the nearby Coosahatchie River. Despite the tough times, the husband-and-wife team never looked back after committing to their farming endeavor. They plowed through the tough times, gradually expanding the farm by adding acreage, different commodities and additional farm locations over the years. Today, Coosaw Farms has growing operations in Allendale, Hampton, and Beaufort counties. They also have a Florida farm operating under the Coosaw label. The majority of their production acreage is grown conventionally, but they also grow 110 acres organically.
Watermelons were the first commodity grown and sold at the local farmers’ markets under the Coosaw label. Their current South Carolina watermelon acreage is rotated with corn. They also grow blueberries, blackberries under shade houses, and they recently added bell peppers. Future expansion plans include brassicas and lettuce.
The farm in Fairfax houses a climate-controlled blueberry packing facility, a watermelon packing shed, and a pepper packing line.
The O’Neals’ strategy for growing produce is the same as they use for growing and developing their farm and their employees. They start small, learn through experience, make improvements and expand with confidence. Brad started helping with small tasks on the farm as a child, and as he grew, he shouldered larger jobs, eventually becoming the packing manager at 16 and is now the CEO of Coosaw. His employees take the same route. For example, Cal Hucks, the company’s COO, started out as an office intern. He moved to the field, was handed a bucket and a shovel and spent two years mastering the art of “fixing” drip-tape leaks. He gradually moved up the ladder through various roles, learning and mastering each task. As he grew into each job, he was given greater responsibility.
Brad, Cal and the entire Coosaw Team share the attitude that they can grow anything they set their minds to. They believe that quality is essential, so they don’t settle for simply growing something; their goal is to master each commodity through continuous learning and improvement. They also believe technology is essential to sustaining quality and improving efficiency. In the search for better farming methods, they have developed and adopted several labor- and time-saving innovations that make work easier and less time-consuming for employees, improving efficiency and productivity and directly resulting in higher-quality produce.
They also believe that explaining the why to their employees is another way to maintain quality. Why? It is imperative that workers understand the significance of their jobs. That knowledge fosters an attitude of care and a sense of accomplishment in a job well done. As soon as the mission’s emphasis shifted to creating opportunities for employees to grow, the plants grew healthier, quality improved, yields increased, and sales got bigger! Coosaw Farms is where quality is of utmost importance, and the healthy growth of employees is prioritized. Next time you’re in the grocery store, purchasing nutritious, quality produce, look for the Coosaw label and remember it represents much more than quality produce. It also represents a quality team that cares about their product.
This month’s spotlight is from Anna Sara Hill, Lowcountry Fruit and Vegetable Agent.
The South Carolina Grower 