May 23, 2023

Sarah Frey of Frey Farms to advise House Committee on Agriculture

Sarah Frey, founder and CEO of Illinois’ Frey Farms, has been appointed to serve as an Advisor to the chair of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture.

Frey will advise the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson’s (R-Pennsylvania) National Agriculture Campaign Advisory Council (NCAC).

NCAC members advise the chair on facets of U.S food policy, drawing on their experiences as growers, business executives and entrepreneurs. The advisors are set to make significant impact on the 2023 Farm Bill and its estimated spending of $428 billion and $7.4 trillion in economic activity it spurs.

“We’re excited to welcome Sarah Frey to the National Agriculture Campaign Advisory Council,” Matthew Brennan, Rep. Thompson’s chief of staff, said in a news release. “Her expertise in both agribusiness and legislative policy, in addition to her unique experience growing her 80-acre family farm in southern Illinois into a nationally distributed fresh produce and beverage business, will provide a critical perspective for the work of the Committee.”

Frey Farms grows fresh fruit and vegetables, including watermelons, pumpkins and other vegetables in seven states and distributes fresh beverages nationally.

Frey looks forward to working with Congressman Thompson and her council colleagues to help modernize, optimize and streamline U.S. agricultural farm policy.

“I will bring my own expertise and experience to the Council, but also share the experiences, challenges and opportunities of my fellow farmers as we seek to nourish more than 336 million Americans by providing them with safe, nutritious, delicious, sustainable and affordable produce,” she said in the release. “From the boot heel of Missouri to Capitol Hill, we will do the right thing for America, its farms and farmers and millions of working families across the U.S.”

Frey, who is also a best-selling author, started Frey Farms, based in Orchardville, Illinois, in 1992. The family business began as a simple produce delivery route that quickly grew, with her brothers soon returning home to help her.

Frey’s vertically integrated beverage business is distributed nationally under the Sarah’s Homegrown and Tsamma Watermelon Juice brands. “We are grounded in our family values and believe in creating opportunities for those living and working in rural communities,” Frey said in the release. “The Frey family is committed to farming with sustainable practices and in preserving natural resources for generations to come.”

Frey’s book, The Growing Season, tells how she transformed her moribund family farm into a national fresh produce and beverage powerhouse. She is also a member of the FMI Food Industry Association’s Fresh Food Leadership Council.

“I will work tirelessly on behalf of the hard-working Americans who grow, package, ship and sell the food America loves to eat,” Frey said in the release.