Featured Grower Series

Featuring Keith Nilmeier Farms

Keith Nilmeier Farms in Fresno, CA has been a family operated farm for more than 120 years. Keith is a fourth generation farmer, following in his great grandfather’s footsteps who came to America more than 135 years ago. His great grandfather started farming in the Central Valley upon his arrival to the US, and eventually started his own operation that Keith still runs today.

Keith Nilmeier Farms grows citrus, wine grapes and stone fruit and chose these crops for their vertical integration, making the operation more efficient.

Keith can remember his dad ordering products from Holloway when he was a teenager. For a time, Nilmeier Farms moved away from the Holloway gypsum and started getting high grade gypsum from a competitor. Nilmeier said the farm went back to using Holloway products shortly after because Holloway’s worked as well or better than the competition and were more cost effective.

“Thirty or so years ago we went back to the Holloway products and Holloway gypsum because every time we ran the numbers on carbon units and calcium units, it came out better using Holloway’s products,” Keith said. “I’m like every farmer and it runs down to cost and cents, and so far the stuff that I’ve used has always been so economical. That’s why I’ve switched out all my products to Holloway.”

Keith sees additional benefits because the Holloway gypsum has other trace minerals that enrich the soil.

“What we like about the Holloway gypsum is we have all the other trace minerals that we are getting, as compared to just the straight 90 to 95 percent high-grade gyp.”

He also notes that the high grade gypsum he was getting from another company was much more difficult to spread evenly across the whole field, whereas the Holloway products provide more poundage per acre and they get a much more even spread in the fields.

Keith Nilmeier Farms also uses Holloway’s sulfur products in their dehydrator. As with the gypsum, Keith originally bought sulfur from a competitor and it worked, but it was expensive. A Holloway Soil Consultant paid Keith a visit and gave him sulfur samples to try.

“I thought that may work for me, but I needed three or four bags to test it. We tried it and tested it and it worked great! So we bought it in bulk to spread it on the fields in the winter, and in the summer, we burn it in our dehydrator and it’s worked out really well for us,” Keith commented.

Nilmeier Farms relies on the portfolio of products that Holloway offers, as well as Holloway’s comprehensive services.

“It’s like a one-stop shop for me!” Keith laughs. “I can call them up, and then the team figures out what we need to do and it’s always worked out really well and been very proactive. It’s been a great relationship.”

While Keith appreciates the relationship he has with Holloway, it is the quality and cost benefit that has inspired him to partner with Holloway for all his amendment and service needs.

“It is an economic and quality decision why I moved all my business over to Holloway in the last several years,” Keith says. “The quality is equal or better to other products, but the price has been better and that’s why we go for it! It’s typical farming – we have to watch all of our pennies!”

We couldn’t agree more. Holloway is happy to be a part of Keith Nilmeier Farm’s success and we hope to continue the relationship for the next 120 years.