Derek, our CEO & Head Farmer, was born and raised in Ford Heights. As a child he helped his grandmother plow and sow the family garden learning the ropes of traditional farming. This is where his love for fresh grown food was birthed. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Derek spent several years traveling throughout Asia where he developed a passion for exotic herbs and other freshly grown ingredients. After nearly 25 years in the hospitality industry, as a result of the Covid 19 Pandemic, Derek lost his job. In true Drake fashion, he started to sow a new dream, and Ditto Foods was born.
Brad, our COO & Co-Owner, was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago. His love for food began at an early age as he would stand on a chair next to his grandma and great-grandma in the kitchen watching them cook. As years went on he realized food was always at the center of family gatherings and food always brought people together. With that, he pursued an Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management then on to a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Today, Brad stands beside Derek supporting and encouraging his dream that Ditto Foods was started from.
The Ditto Difference
Unlike traditional farming methods, at Ditto foods we use the science of hydroponics to grow produce faster, with less water, and more sustainably. This is not the only discrepancy between Ditto Foods and other produce suppliers. When you support Ditto Foods you have our guarantee
Transparency is key to understanding where and how our food is produced. Ditto Foods is committed to improving that transparency in the lettuce, leafy green, and herb industry by growing “hyper-local” produce in one of the most innovative hydroponic systems available, Freight Farms’ Greenery S. Growing in the Greenery enables us to provide unparalleled transparency in all operations from seed to harvest and it will allow us to provide our customers with the certainty that they are buying, receiving, and eating produce grown via the best agricultural practices available.