Above Food acquires organic legume and grain brand Farmer Direct

Above Food has announced its acquisition of Farmer Direct Organic Foods (FDO), a Canadian certified-organic speciality legume and grain business.

Launched in 2018, FDO aims to provide organic and traceable, single-origin, family-farmed legumes and kitchen staples. 

With facilities in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the company has a distribution footprint spanning 2,000 retail locations across North America, and is projected to increase this to 10,000 within a year.

FDO co-founder and CEO Jason Freeman will continue to lead the company and will also become the director of organic supply for Above Food.

The acquisition includes a portfolio of dozens of branded and private label products, as well as an established, “sophisticated” organic supply chain.

The brand and its ‘rigorous’ supply chain – which is monitored using a track and trace system – will form the foundation of Above Food’s organic consumer packaged goods platform.

The partnership is also expected to bring synergies for the companies’ organic plant proteins and ancient grains supply, by marrying FDO’s organic supply chain and product portfolio with Above Food’s certified-organic terminal.

“From the first conversation with the Above Food team, we had great philosophical alignment on the ethics and responsibilities of food producers and the role that truly sustainable and traceable practices can play in the plant-based protein supply chain,” said FDO’s Freeman. 

“With Above Food’s pedigree in scaled production and advanced ingredient processing, the combination of our companies and cultures will be synergistic.”

Martin Williams, president and chief innovation officer of Above Food Brands, said: “FDO’s distribution and retail relationships add a completely new dimension to our portfolio approach for Above Food Brands, including the ability to deliver differentiated branded and private label solutions across many product segments, all with a Regenerative Organic foundation. I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Jason and his team.”

Regenerative Organic is a new measure for organically grown food and other ingredients in which the farms and products meet high standards for soil health and sustainability.