The hydroponic grower of year-round tomatoes in the northern clime of Owatonna, Minn., Bushel Boy Farms, has sold its assets and greenhouse to a new owner and operator.
In an email to the Minnesota Star Tribune on Tuesday evening, Bushel Boy Farms President Chuck Tryon said the company sold to Best Boy Farms on Friday, May 30.
"While this change is bittersweet, we are so thankful for our loyal customers and partners over the last 30+ years," Tryon wrote.
Tryon did not immediately respond to questions about whether the new company plans to continue operations as usual. He did say the company's sale constituted assets and commercial greenhouses in Owatonna and Mason City, Iowa. He did not disclose the sale price.
According to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, Best Boy Farms registered with the state in early April.
Bushel Boy began as a greenhouse-grown tomato company in 1990 and had expanded in recent years to other fruits and vegetables, including strawberries and cucumbers. By 2016, the company grew 12 million pounds of vine-on and beefsteak tomatoes, mostly headed to supermarkets.
In 2018, Bushel Boy was purchased by Shakopee-based Rahr Corporation. As recently as 2020, Bushel Boy had opened a new $35 million campus in Mason City.
In recent years, however, indoor agriculture has become an increasingly competitive space. A year ago, Bushel Boy was ordered by state labor officials to pay nearly $200,000 in back wages and damages to 94 employees for unpaid overtime.
Source: The Minnesotta Star Tribune