Bayer CropScience started a new award program at this year’s Ag Issues Forum – the Produce Innovation Award. The first recipient is Chalmers R. Carr III, owner and president of Titan Farms in Ridge Springs, S.C. Accepting the award is his wife Lori Anne Carr.

A first-generation farmer, Carr manages 6,100 acres of peaches, peppers and broccoli on an operation that spans over 20 miles. His achievements in the areas of improving product quality, increasing market demand, supporting consumer education on health benefits and increasing the accessibility of produce to more people exemplify the spirit of innovation the Produce Innovation Award is designed to honor.

Carr and his wife, Lori Anne, purchased Titan Farms in 1999 and have since grown the operation 400 percent, from 1,500 acres to 6,100 acres. At the production level, the Carrs attribute their success with yield and quality to an uncompromising focus on employee training and retention, precision ag technology and a team-based approach to farm management.

“Any success we have begins and ends with our employees,” said Carr. “Everyone here has ownership in the products we grow, harvest and ship. And we firmly believe our investment in employee training and support programs pays enormous dividends in product quality and yield.”

Listen in to Lori Anne Carr’s remarks here: Lori Anne Carr Remarks

Photos: 2015 Ag Issues Forum Photo Album