Integrity as a Way of Life - Columbia Publishing & Design

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L&L Ag Production, LLC Business Integrity Is a Way of Life for the Bauman Family Keeping their word has always meant a lot to Larry and Kerrick Bauman of L&L Ag Production, LLC, Connell, Wash., who grow, pack and ship high quality onions for the fresh-cut and processing industry. A father-and-son operation, the Baumans have farming operations in both the Connell and Pasco areas of Washington and import onions from California during the offseason. Larry is the father; Kerrick is the son. Beginning in 2003, the Baumans saw the need to sell onions all 12 months so they started a sales company, Onions Direct L.L.C. and brought Dan Commins in Larry Bauman, Dan Commins and Kerrick Bauman Onion World as sales manager. Dan sold for DeBruyn Produce in Zeeland, Mich. He moved to the Kennewick area, where his office is now located. The Baumans and Commins share common values associated with their Baptist and Christian faith. One is their commitment to absolute honesty and integrity. Character Has Its Rewards Two years ago, when the onion markets went through the roof, the Baumans made no attempts to wiggle out of their contracts with established customers. There were no excuses of a shortfall from a poor crop year. They sold their onions for the agreed upon price, painfully lower than market offerings at the time. But character also has its rewards, especially during a down year, such as the 2007-08 market. The markets were soft, exceptionally soft, yet their customers remained loyal and paid them at the agreed-upon contract price. “One of the trademarks of Onions Direct is that we keep our word and keep it simple,” Larry declares. “If the price is high and you have them contracted, you are going to receive them for the contracted price. We’ve made it a practice
not to get caught up in making excuses. The people that we do business with know that we keep our word.” “Our company is very much customer-driven,” adds Kerrick. “That’s one thing about Onions Direct—keeping our customers updated by providing them with a good picture of the quality of the crop and how it is progressing. That’s virtually true on a load-by-load basis.” Dan points out the significance of the company’s reputation in helping perpetuate sales through Onions Direct. “One of the keys is that our customers recognize how ‘hands on’ we are,” he explains. “For example, one of our larger customers has no problem giving Larry a phone call and asking him what he’s seeing. There’s a tremendous relationship established here. The customer feels he can get an honest assessment without overstepping his bounds.” The Earlier Years The history leading up to Onions Direct and L&L Ag Production, LLC, dates back to 1988, when Larry and Kerrick grew their first five acres of onions. The Bauman family moved to the Connell area in 1978 from Nyssa, Ore., where Larry spent his earlier career in the farm machinery business and his wife, Lorraine, taught school. “Down deep, I always had a desire to farm,” he recalls, remembering the days of selling Allis Chalmers tractors and other equipment. “When we first arrived in Washington, Kerrick was beginning his senior year at Connell High School. He graduated in 1979 and later graduated from college with a degree in business administration.” Before entering into farming, Larry worked on a farm for a couple of years while Lorraine began teaching. “We started out very, very small and rented all of our ground,” the grower recalls. After Kerrick finished college, he came back as a partner with Larry and Lorraine in L&L Farms. From the start they planned on growing onions. After struggling to make things go, including being taken to the shed a few times, they decided they needed a more direct connection with their customers. Also need- Undercutting the crop. ed was more control over the marketing end of our business, Larry explains. Hence, eight years later, in 1996, the Baumans built their first onion storages near Othello. These were bulk storages, state-of-the art, with slotted cement floors for improved air circulation. They also began their own packing shed operation, Target Ag Production, located at the Othello Port District at Bruce. A key employee was Wally Frank, who proved influential in helping the new business get started and became the manager. Wally retired in July 2008 and was replaced by Troy Eggers. All of the company’s onions grown in Eastern Washington are packed and shipped through Target Ag Production. As the new venture progressed, it soon became apparent that the growers needed to lengthen their season. The marketplace was now demanding onions 12 months out of the year. To make that happen, earlier onions were needed. The decision was made to add production in the Pasco area, where the temperatures are warmer and an early crop can be grown. Before long, Larry and Kerrick established leasing agreements with several well-established potato growers in the Pasco area, including Randy Mullin and Bob Ransom. The onions were grown in rotation with potatoes. These production relationships continue to this day. Wally Frank helped them acquire refrigerated truck contracts for transporting the crop to their customers. This system has helped ensure the quality and safety of the onions shipped. Later, arrangements also were made to ship onions from California during the off-season, June through the first part of August. Most of these onions are grown in the El Centro and Huron areas. Grown Under Drip Irrigation Beginning in 1999, the Baumans put in their first drip irrigation system and now grow the majority of their crop under drip. Most of their onions, in Washington and California, are grown under drip. This enables them to maximize yields and deliver a more uniform crop. “Every day, there is something new thrown at you,” Kerrick smiles, referring to food security, transportation, production and other issues that perpetually crop up. “There is always something. Our farm and Target Ag Production are both third-party audited, having received superior rating from the start. On the food safety side of things we’ve done very well. Our customers, however, are also facing growing demands from their customers, the McDonald’s, Burger Kings and others. While we have not experienced anything of significant concern yet, all of us are being checked out more closely than ever.” (continued on page 8) Onion World • November 2008
Page 1: ONION WORLD 8405 Ahtanum Road, Yaki
Page 4: Table of Contents November 2008 6 L
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Page 13 and 14: The message is clear. Early maturin
Page 15 and 16: will, he says. Acreage reductions,
Page 17 and 18: Trade Talk NOA Annual Convention to
Page 19 and 20: 2008 Field Days Osu Participants ex
Page 21 and 22: 2008 Field Days Wsu Onions infected
Page 23 and 24: ontinues xports about 6 million kil
Page 25 and 26: JH Biotech 4951 Olivas Park Dr., Ve
Page 27 and 28: Top Air Inc. 10 East Grove Avenue,
Page 29 and 30: PINCH ROLLS Lee Shuknecht & Sons 44
Page 32: 32 Onion World Summer Onion Harvest

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