About Greg Crossgrove Consulting Services
Greg Crossgrove is a highly successful, Agriculture Consultant Manager and produce specialist with expertise in precision farming of fresh fruits and vegetable crops. For more than five decades Greg has provided solution based, proactive consulting services advising to a wide variety of farmers, growers and shippers throughout the western United States.
Greg’s diverse knowledge of the agriculture industry with an emphasis on food safety uniquely qualifies him to be a leading agriculture and produce advising consultant. His organization and management skills will help you develop action plans in all phases of administration, planting, growing, harvesting, packing, cooling, shipping, and marketing for your business.
Greg Crossgrove takes great pride in helping growers and shippers to formulate sound business plans, develop high quality food safety standards, structure financing and formulate budgets that are specifically designed to fit the needs of your business. To schedule a consultation with Greg please visit our contact page.
WORK HISTORY
1995 – Present
President/ Owner, Gregory P. Crossgrove, Inc.
Agriculture Management Consultant to a variety of growers and shippers in the United States, such as:
2020 – 2023 Arizona – Hualapai Valley Farm, LLC
Arizona – Hualapai Valley Farm, LLC (Al Dahra ACX /Hualapai Valley Farm, LLC) – Kingman, Arizona: Developing a tenant base for the lease of 12,500 acres of conventional and organic sandy loam soil. The ranch has a dependable and sustainable well water source. Crop flexibility is available for continuous row planting, permanent trees, fruits and vegetables.
2015 – 2019
Arizona – California – Idaho – Nevada – Utah
Ag Energy Group, LLC – Benson Farms – Development Projects
Ag Energy, LLC: Developing solar and greenhouse projects for the conventional and organic vegetable industry, including the growing of vegetable transplants for commercial crops. Presenting programs to grower/ shippers and processors within the United States, Canada, Mexico, Singapore and three Middle Eastern Countries.
Benson Farms: Reviewed budgets, production procedures of conventional and organic vegetables. Solicited grower/ shippers and processors in Arizona, California and three other states, to develop a program for growing of conventional and organic fresh fruits and vegetables.
Development Projects: Developing depressed farm land and water systems, that have not been active in the production of crops for several years. The redevelopment consists of surveying for the realignment of field roads, turn roads and leveling of fields. The water wells are redesigned and developed with updated equipment, extending the well depth as needed, a new water delivery system, for subsurface irrigation systems, hand move sprinkler pipe or pivots. The land is then farmed for conventional and organic crops.
2013 – 2014
Arizona & California – International Farming Corporation
Responsibilities included: As a consultant, shared responsibility for the redevelopment of depressed farm land and water systems within a multi-million dollar allotted development budget for Arizona and California properties. Developed subsurface drip systems, which included supervision of the installation of subsurface drip and filter stations, design approval, as well as procurement and maintenance of parts inventory. Development of new wells and redevelopment of existing wells in a collaboration with consultants. Managed funds for capital expenditure projects on International Farming Corporation’s properties in Arizona and California, such as the designing of a 19,000 square foot cold storage and icing facility in Salome, Arizona with a slated completion date in the fall of 2016. Created key relationships with the current property tenants, as well as soliciting potential relationships with grower/shippers of fresh conventional and organic fruit and vegetables, utilizing contacts I have cultivated over my career for available land leases.
Maintained budgets, cost expenditures and semi-monthly/monthly reporting of the overall development of the properties in Arizona and California. Preserved contact on a constant basis with water districts in California (Blythe and Imperial Valley) for the protection of the water rights for International Farming Corporation properties.
2012 – 2013
Arizona – Rousseau Farming Company (Salt River Farming)
Responsibilities included: Maintaining Primus GFS Food Safety Certification for the facility, its products and its customers. Restructuring and management of cooling facility operations for the shipping of fresh conventional and organic vegetables. Managing the fresh vegetable packing facility. Maintaining the inventory of packaging materials.
2010 – 2011
Utah – Preparation of vegetable operations for GAP and food safety audits and field inspection of vegetable crops for growing, harvesting, and packing.
2005 – 2009
Kansas – Developed a new vegetable operation in Ulysses, Kansas (West Kansas Produce L.L.C.) Maintained a grower base and managed all land leases. Formulated budgets, planting, and harvesting schedules. Managed the cooling and shipping of the packed product. Formed a new sales department and hired a sales and office staff. Developed monthly analyses of the crops and provided timely reporting to the owners of the company. Prepared for a GAP and food safety audit and USDA certification. Developed a tree operation for the purpose of biomass, remediation, and bio fuels. Responsible for building a greenhouse and planting a small tree farm for experimentation purposes.
2003 – 2004
Arizona – (Arizona Drip Systems/Sundance Farms) Redeveloped a client list for drip systems and farm equipment line for drip farming for Arizona Drip Systems. Participated in developing of a mixed vegetable and watermelon operation and prepared for a food safety audit for Sundance Farms.
1995 – 2004
Arizona/ Colorado – Consultant for two large grower/shippers (Pinto Creek Company L.L.C. and Tohono O’Odham Farming Authority) and several smaller growers, focusing on broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, mix leaf lettuce, cantaloupes, honeydews, cilantro, flat leaf spinach, sweet corn, red and chip potatoes, and curly leaf spinach throughout Arizona and Colorado. Developed budgets and planting schedules; managed all aspects of growing, water management, harvesting, packing, cooling, and marketing of all crops. Performed cost analyses on crop returns and daily costs of operation. Prepared for food safety audits and certified with Primus Labs.
2001 – 2002
California Grower and Shipper (Lucky Farms) – Sourcing for resale purposes.
2000 – 2005
Central Kansas Grower and Shipper (Bill Roenbaugh Farms) – Developed a red/russet potato operation with emphasis on budgets, planting schedules, growing, water management, harvesting, and marketing.
2000 – 2005
Southwest Colorado – Grower and Shipper of sweet corn (Ute Mountain Ute Tribe) – Sweet corn seed variety trials, which included planting schedule formation, growing, and cost analysis for a future commercial operation. Prepared for a food safety audit with Primus Labs. Operated as a commercial sweet corn grower and shipper (2003-2005).
2000 – 2001
Northwest New Mexico – (Navajo Agricultural Products Industry Farming Operation) Evaluated a farming operation, with the direction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Interviewed all individuals connected with the potato, pumpkin, and fruit tree production, as well as harvesting and marketing departments. Our recommendations resulted in a change in the style of management for this operation and has allowed for positive change to the business operations for this client.
ADDITIONAL RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
General Manager, San Juan Produce, Delta, Colorado
Management of a broccoli, cabbage, onions (yellow, reds and whites), and sweet corn operation. Supervised all phases of growing, water management, harvesting, packing, cooling, and marketing. Developed a business plan, obtained financing, formulated budgets, and performed cost analyses.
President, Great Plains Produce, Oklahoma
Management of an operation consisting of broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, squash, cantaloupes, honeydews, sweet corn, & watermelons. Solely responsible for all phases of growing, water management, harvesting, packing, cooling, and marketing. Developed a business plan, obtained financing, formulated budgets, and performed cost analyses.
Growing/ Harvesting Manager, Salinas, California
Manager of multiple growing and harvesting operations consisting of broccoli, cauliflower, dry onions and lettuce.
ORGANIZATIONS
Arizona Iceberg Lettuce Research Council (Past Board Member)
CERTIFICATIONS
PrimusGFS Standard Food Safety Training Course
PrimusGFS Auditor Food Safety Training Course
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Certification
SEMINARS/TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Global G.A.P. (Good Agriculture Practices)
EDUCATION
Hartnell College – Salinas, California
MILITARY SERVICE
United States Army