Wayne County CEO Visits Frey Farms in Keenes, Illinois

What can we say about Frey Farms in Keenes, Illinois! Last week, Wayne County CEO students had the opportunity to sit down with John Frey, owner and operator of Frey Farms. John’s sister, Sarah Frey, is the President and Founding Owner of the organization, which began right here in Wayne County.

John shared the story of how he and his siblings got their start selling locally grown produce to small mom-and-pop grocers between Wayne County and Poseyville, Indiana—and how that small beginning has grown into the thriving business Frey Farms is today.

He explained that working in the agriculture sector requires people from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds, including logistics specialists, accountants, IT support, sales staff, marketers, advertisers, graphic designers, scientists, and agronomists. Much of his own work focuses on supply chain management. Over the years, Frey Farms has built strong relationships with other growers, creating a co-op of producers to help meet market demands.

John left students with two key pieces of advice:

Diversify—especially in agriculture, where you can’t “manufacture” more product.

Do what you say you’ll do—honesty and integrity go a long way in building trust and success in business.

A special thank you to John Frey and Sales Manager Derrick Sledge for arranging this visit. We truly appreciate the opportunity to learn from you!

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