NEW CAMBRIA, KAN. — Sustainability-focused flour producer Farmer Direct Foods has promoted Keaton Hale to vice president of operations. Mr. Hale has acted as plant manager since May 2022 at Farmer Direct Foods, which is a subsidiary of Overland Park, Kan.-based Heirloom Brands. Before joining Farmer Direct Foods, Mr. Hale worked at Grain Craft, Pendleton, Ore., in a variety of roles, including mill superintendent, head miller and technical miller.

“Keaton is a natural leader and has made a significant impact from the day he joined the company," said Tim Webster, chief executive officer of Farmer Direct Foods. "He is a fourth-generation flour miller with deep roots in the industry and we are lucky to have him on our team. He combines his professional experience, remarkable instincts and can-do attitude to push us all to be better every day. I’m grateful for Keaton and look forward to working alongside him as we grow Farmer Direct Foods towards its full potential."

Mr. Hale comes from a long line of millers and is the grandson of Joe Hale, who previously worked in roles including vice president of Western Star Milling and president of The Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM).