CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
Consistency, care, and “no cutting corners” ensured Baker Farms grew from small family farm to flourishing operation.
Since 1970, Baker Family Farms has grown from a father-and-son operation in Southwest Georgia into a leading grower, packer, and processor of leafy greens. They grew the farm business by expanding thoughtfully, treating workers like family and adopting technology that strengthens the basics.
A vision for dependable food, season after season
Founders Terry and Joe Baker chose to specialize in leafy greens for their reliability. Rather than chase short-term spikes, the Bakers invested in practices that could sustain a family and a community over decades. They continued to channel that ethos of sustainability even when building a ready-to-eat processing facility in the 2010s. This pivotal leap moved Baker from bulk boxes to retail-ready bags and set the stage for meaningful growth, but they maintained their strong sense of partnership with the workers, fellow farms and family.
Today, Baker Family Farms supports major retail programs while staying true to a simple idea passed down through generations: If you’re going to do it, go all in and don’t cut corners.
From a small crew to a multi-generational workforce
Baker launched its H-2A program in 1998, one of the first in the region to diversify its labor force with skilled migrants. Many of those first workers, and their sons and grandsons, still return season after season. What started as 84 H-2A workers 15 years ago has grown into a 350-strong team, including ~10 full-time family members.
“People come back because they know they’re valued,” Heath, the current owner, explains. “No one tells a son or cousin to join a place they didn’t enjoy. Respect and consistency matter.”
Leading by principle and example
Every morning, leadership rides the fields, meeting foremen, checking quality, and making hard calls: harvest, hold, or replant. That hands-on discipline guides decisions about growth and technology, too. New tools must serve what the Bakers call the “simple truths”: deliver on time, protect quality, and be reliable for customers. If a tool doesn’t support those truths, they don’t adopt it.
Smart partnerships that extend reach
While Baker Farms is a staple of their local farming community, they weren’t afraid to find strategic partnerships that could help the business grow and sustain generations to come. A close partnership with a Maine vegetable grower helps both operations balance seasons and open new distribution lanes. Baker now grows broccoli and cauliflower under the partner’s label while introducing their own greens to new markets. The result: more resilience, more learning, and more ways to serve customers well.
It’s not just other farms that have helped Baker grow. As another partner of Baker Farms’, Seso is proud to have been integral to transforming their operations and readying their backoffice for growth. Before Seso, peak arrivals meant lines out the door, manual photocopies, sticky notes, boxes of paper in off-site storage, and anxious weeks of catching up. With Seso, onboarding and records are digital from day one, consular coordination is transparent, and audits feel manageable.
“I was the last to give up paper—now I’m 100% on board,” says Miranda, who manages all worker logistics. “When we need a document, it’s there. And the support is top-notch. It’s like having another admin by your side.”
Growing with care and discipline
Baker’s playbook is simple and durable: master the basics before you scale, then grow with discipline. In their words, “start slow and just take really good pride in what you're doing.” They are an incredible example of investing when it truly moves the needle, and executing with care. They also shared that it’s important to adopt tech with intent so it strengthens your core truths: quality, timeliness, reliability. Above all, value people visibly. Terry Baker, who started the farm in the 70s, would walk the fields every morning, meeting that day’s foreman and checking every field, until he retired. Today, his grandchildren continue the work he started.
Baker Family Farms' commitment to consistency, quality, and respect for its workers has been the foundation of its growth over three generations. By focusing on delivering reliable, high-quality produce and treating their team like family, they’ve built a business that thrives in today’s competitive agricultural landscape. With Seso’s support, they’re able to streamline operations and stay focused on what they do best: growing great food and supporting their community.
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