“I’m coming up on almost 10 years since graduation,” Fronke (15) said, “which is crazy. I feel like I just graduated. But here we are. Time flies.”
After graduating with a B.S in Management and Entrepreneurship, Fronke moved to Porterville, CA, with his wife, whom he met at PLNU. She had just secured a nursing job, and Fronke hoped to find employment in the area. Participating in the Entrepreneurship Club at PLNU had solidified his interest in his major, and he found his classes engaging. Early on he found his core group of people, and together they played intramural basketball and volleyball, as well as soaked up all that San Diego’s sunny weather had to offer.
Fronke also interned with a real estate agency before graduating, enjoyed the experience, and figured he’d continue on that career path post-college. Given that his B.S was in Management and Entrepreneurship, he expected to apply what he’d studied in the world of real estate management.
“I figured she’s [wife] got a job, I’ll find something,” Fronke said. “I thought that I was going to be doing real estate and property management.”
However, meeting just one person changed his trajectory. After getting connected with the CEO of Homegrown through his local church, Fronke learned more about the company and how they work to help farmers all the way up the coast get their fruit to market. The CEO wanted to bring Fronke aboard.
“We talked a little bit off and on, and he goes, ‘Hey, we can actually really use another salesperson for our company. And are you interested in trying it out?’ And I’d heard super good things about Homegrown, and everything I heard was true,” Fronke recalls.
“Now I’ve been here for eight years, and it’s an incredible company. And I was like, ‘I know nothing about produce, but here we go. Let’s try it out.’ And eight years later, I’m still loving it.”
“Now I’ve been here for eight years, and it’s an incredible company. And I was like, ‘I know nothing about produce, but here we go. Let’s try it out.’ And eight years later, I’m still loving it.”
Quickly after beginning his career at Homegrown, Fronke went back to school to get a graduate degree in Agricultural Business Operations from North Carolina State University, taking advantage of their online classes to expand his skills for his new role. While there was a lot to learn, Fronke liked the challenge of becoming familiar with Homegrown’s business model.
“Homegrown is a marketing company for growers,” Fronke explained, “so we represent a lot of different growers from all sorts of different commodities: citrus, stone fruit, grapes and fall fruit like pomegranate or persimmons. We’re also EFI [equitable food initiative] certified.”
This certification, according to their website, helps identify businesses that have worked to “ create a more transparent food chain, safer food and healthier places to work.” Fronke is proud to work with a company that prioritizes equitable business practices that make sure to take care of the growers, no matter what kind of crop they’re bringing to market.
Fronke oversees all blueberries domestically. For nine months of the year, when blueberries are coming in along the coast, he communicates with the fields to get an accurate picture of what’s going on. There is a huge geographical area that he’ll be in charge of, depending on the month, as blueberries travel from Southern California up to Washington state. He also coordinates with customers, the sales team, and all the variables that can affect a volatile market.
“Day to day can look completely different depending on what type of issues we’re facing,” Fronke explained. Homegrown gives growers a median price for the fruit so that they can survive during times when the market is low. This kind of transparent, client-first business model is exactly the sort of work environment Fronke loves.
“We want to make sure we’re keeping the family farm alive,” he said. “Working for a company like Homegrown is amazing because the values are aligned with my personal values and with values that I’ve learned and upheld from my time at Loma.”
At first, Fronke didn’t know if he belonged at PLNU. But after his parents encouraged him to continue to plug into community, clubs, classes, and activities, he met his lifelong friends and his wife. He still keeps in touch with those friends today, and credits his college experience for forming and shaping him.
“[My time at PLNU] is one of the best things that ever happened to me,” he said. “I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I didn’t have those experiences. The teachers actually cared. They actually knew my name [and] wanted me to learn.”
“My time at PLNU is one of the best things that ever happened to me, I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I didn’t have those experiences. The teachers actually cared. They actually knew my name and wanted me to learn.”
Fronke continues to bring what he’s learned at PLNU to Homegrown, making sure that everyone is taken care of and prioritizing clients’ wellbeing over company profit. This past berry season was, in his words, a success.
“We sold more pounds this year for a higher dollar return for the grower. To sell more fruit at a higher rate is absolutely a win. We got our growers more money, and we grew the program with more customers. That’s a success.”
