Business Development & Operations
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Brian Freeman
Brian Freeman, cofounder and leader of Grower’s Organic LLC, has a passion for organic living. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona Brian relocated to Colorado in 1991 while employed by Gemini Natural Food Markets. Shortly after this move, Brian joined the management team for the opening of the Washington Park Wild Oats store. During this time Brian also assisted Green Earth Farm at various farmers markets in the Denver metropolitan area, increasing his knowledge of produce and retailing. Brian’s excitement for produce and healthy living was a catalyst to the birth of Grower’s Organic LLC in 2005. Brian is the proud husband of Rachel Freeman. Brian and Rachel reside in Denver, Colorado with their three children, Tovrea, CoCo, and Quintin, and their dog Sherman. Brian’s favorite vegetable is broccoli romanesco.
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Sarah Bennett
A native of Philadelphia, Sarah relocated to Colorado in 2011. Her business experience and skills sets were developed in the real estate industry however her enthusiasm for healthy living led her to join Grower’s Organic. Sarah works on the business development team with Brian Freeman and collaborates on the operations, marketing, and community outreach programs of the company. A vegetarian and an advocate of organics, Sarah is dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and in her free time she enjoys all activities in the mountains with her Jack Russell Terrier, Scratch and a consistent yoga practice. Her favorite vegetable is a Brussels sprout and her favorite fruit is a nectarine.
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Sharon Novacek
Sharon is the Controller for Growers Organic LLC. Raised in Mosca, Colorado on White Mountain Farm Sharon has spent her entire life in the produce industry. After years on the farm, Sharon attended Adams State College and earned her Bachelors of Science in Accounting. Sharon moved to the metropolitan of Denver in 1992 and worked for the State until October 1999. She is a certified CPA. Outside of the office, Sharon can be found cheering on her daughters at a gymnastics meet or vacationing in her RV with her husband. Her favorite produce is cherries, watermelon, blueberries, artichokes, lemons, cucumbers, and fresh corn on the cob.
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David Chappelle
David is our Operations Manager and is responsible to oversee all aspects of the warehouse including maintenance, operations, and procedures. David joins our team with eight years of experience in the produce industry. A real animal lover, David has 3 goats, 6 ducks, 2 cats, and 1 dog. In his free time he enjoys spending time at home with his family and riding motorcycles. His favorite produce is figs, asparagus, gala apples, and cherries.
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Alex Nodes
Alex joined Grower’s Organic LLC in January of 2011. Her past experience in local small businesses has been valuable in her role as Bookkeeper and administrative support. A native of Minnesota, she moved to Colorado in 1996 to enjoy the warmer weather and to enjoy a diverse range of abundant outdoor activities. A life-long believer that you are what you eat and that food is medicine, Alex is an advocate of organic produce. Her favorite fruit is blueberries.
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Wanda Liehs
Wanda is a part-time receptionist at Grower’s Organic and is often the friendly voice you hear when calling us. Wanda is a retired school teacher from Boulder Valley Public Schools where she was an educator for 26 years. In her free time Wanda enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her favorite fruit is all types of berries.
Purchasing & Quality Control
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Bruno Dispoto
Bruno joined Grower’s Organic in June 2011 as Purchasing Director and is most intimate with our farmers in California, Mexico, and overseas. A veteran in the produce industry, Bruno’s father grew table grapes in California and Arizona and afforded the opportunity to learn at an early age. Previous to his joining our team, Bruno owned his own produce brokerage business from 1987 until 2007 when he joined Montana Vistas LLC as the Director of Purchasing. In that position he spent time in both Canada and the United Kingdom assisting in the development of fresh, ethnic, and organic produce buying in pilot stores for two major retailers. The Rungis Market in Paris, France is one of Bruno’s favorite places as it is “produce heaven” and further developed his appreciation of produce from all over the world. In his free time Bruno enjoys a good gym workout, reading, and keeping up with international news. He also is a fan of the Carlton Blues Aussie football club, Leeds United Football, and Leeds Rhinos Rubgy. His top produce picks include eggplant, green beans, bell peppers, and leafy greens.
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Christa Long
Christa Long works in our purchasing department and is the expert in local Colorado farms and their harvests. Christa’s interest in organic agriculture peaked during her college years in Beloit, Wisconsin. She spent weekends and evenings working at small family farms in exchange for produce. Soon her summers and semesters were spent learning and working the land. She spent one season working at Monroe Organic Farms in Kersey, Colorado. With years of hands on study, and a degree in Social and Environmental Sustainability, Christa is passionate and knowledgeable about the variety and quality of organic produce. Depending on the season, Christa can be found on the slopes, in her backyard garden, or slingin’ mushrooms at the Boulder Farmer’s Market. Christa’s favorite produce includes English peas, mizuna, and Brandywine tomatoes.
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Nick Bulson
Nick joined Grower’s Organic in 2009 and is an Assistant Buyer and our Quality Specialist. Nick graduated from Central Michigan University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Environmental Science. Nick lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and in his free time enjoys running, biking, hiking, snowboarding, yard work, and playing fetch with his dog. His favorite produce includes bananas, dates, bell peppers, and avocados.
Sales
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Pam Nelson
Pam is the Sales Manager for Grower’s Organic LLC and has 34 years of experience in the produce industry. Her career began in Lexington, Nebraska as the produce manager at the Sixth Street Food Store. During her tenure in the industry Pam has also been on the management teams for River Front Farmers Market and Boulder Fruit Express. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her two daughters, family, friends, and crazy dogs! Her favorite hobbies include designing, knitting, and sewing. Her favorite produce is asparagus, blueberries, and raspberries.
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Angie White
A 2002 graduate of Luther College in Iowa, Angie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Spanish. Angie joined the Grower’s team in 2009 as a sales assistant and helps to ensure successful order and delivery of our products to our customers. Angie enjoys cooking and is drawn to the colors and flavors of organic produce. In addition to cooking, Angie spends her free time skiing, traveling, and reading. Her favorite fruit is a Colorado peach.
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Bessie Hillard
Bessie joined Grower’s Organic in February 2011 and works with our Sales team as an inside sales consultant. Raised in San Antonio, Texas she earned a Bachelor’s of Art in Environmental Studies and Sociology from Baylor University 2005. Her love for produce began while working on an organic farm in college. She interned on a farm in Moab, Utah before becoming an assistant manager on a farm on the Western Slope in Crawford, Colorado. Outside of the office Bessie enjoys cooking and exploring the outdoors with her pup. Her favorite fruit is an heirloom tomato.
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Jessica Vanderdys
Jessica joined our team in March 2011. A Virginia native, Jessica graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder and moved to Denver in 2006. She spent the first 5 years of her sales career in the wine industry however she transitioned to organic produce sales because she wanted to work in a business that shared her values of social and environmental responsibility. As an outside sales representative with Grower’s Organic, Jessica is responsible for developing relationships with restaurants in the Denver and Boulder areas. She works closely with chefs to increase their use of organic produce and dairy while creating their culinary delights. In her spare time she enjoys cooking delicious vegan meals, spending time in the mountains, bike rides, yoga, snowboarding, and going to concerts. Her favorite fruit is Lychee.
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Nicole Courter
Borned and raised near Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nicole moved to Denver in 2008 with her husband. A long time advocate of organics, Nicole is excited to be working for Grower’s Organic. She cares greatly about our earth, environmental issues, and the carbon footprint we leave here on the planet. In her free time Nicole likes to cook, hike, travel, snowboard, and go to live music shows. Her favorite produce is garlic, cucumbers, mushrooms, and berries.
Warehouse
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Eric Bettis
Eric joined Growers Organic in 2008 and works in our warehouse. Eric was born on the east coast, raised in the southwest, and is now a Denver transplant! Eric spent the summer of 2008 living and working on a small organic farm in San Marcos, California which awakened his interest in organic produce. His favorite produce is heirloom tomatoes and enjoys making salsa and spaghetti sauces. When he is not crashing his bike or skateboard, he likes spending time in his garden and watching freight trains. More than just a railroading enthusiast, he has zig-zagged the continent for five years investigating America the beautiful.
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Keith Ferro
Keith is part of our warehouse team and is responsible for all customer deliveries in the Fort Collins area. He has been in the produce industry for 3.5 years. Keith joined us with 20 years’ experience as a sales manager and four years’ experience selling and distributing coffee. In his free time Keith can be found rafting and fly fishing in the summer months and snow shoeing in the winter months. His favorite produce is baby spinach, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.
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Matthew Wright
Matthew joined Growers Organic in June 2011. As one of our delivery drives, Matthew serves our customers with a smile while ensuring they get their product on time. Raised in a military family, Matthew learned at an early age that hard work makes good things happen. A Georgia native, he recently relocated to Denver with his wife and Pointer, Sadie to enjoy the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. His favorite fruit is plums.
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Lee Berry
Lee Berry joined Grower’s Organic is 2009 and is a part of our warehouse team. Lee is a member of our warehouse team and delivers fresh produce to our customers. Born and raised in Crystal Springs, Missouri, Lee moved to North Carolina after Hurricane Katrina. Lee and his wife, Belle, relocated to Colorado from North Carolina to enjoy the mountains. Outside of Grower’s Lee enjoys rock climbing, music skiing, and flying fishing. He loves all types of produce and couldn’t pick just one favorite!
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Joseph Latuchie
Originally from the Bay Area of California, Joseph joined Grower’s Organic in 2011 and is making the world a better place one organic delivery at a time! In his free time Joseph enjoys listening and playing music. His favorite produce is avocados, cherry tomatoes, and kale.
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Chris Krabbenhoeft
Chris has been working in our industry for 3 years and is a member of our warehouse team. He helps with the organization of our product in coolers, pulling orders, and loading trucks for delivery. His favorite produce is potatoes.
