Geoff Latham, founder of Nicky USA, got his start as a purveyor of sustainably raised game and poultry in 1990 by selling rabbit from the trunk of his Ford Escort to local restaurants and retailers in the Portland area. At the time, area chefs were searching for a purveyor committed to providing the freshest quality game birds and meat raised by local ranchers. Latham saw a great opportunity to work with some of the nation's leading chefs, ranchers and farmers and introduce a larger inventory of both local and exotic game.
A graduate of the Oregon State University Agricultural Business Management school, Latham has built Nicky USA into a national company committed to sustainably raised wild-and farm-raised game. Latham has also expanded his company into the processing industry and has added his Nicky USA label to locally raised rabbit, venison and elk. This system of vertical integration allows Latham to control the quality from the farm to the customer.
With a passion for good food, Latham created Nicky USA's signature culinary event, Wild About Game in 2000 to educate consumers about the uses of wild game. Today, the event is in its fifth year featuring James Beard-award winning chefs from the Pacific Northwest and has expanded with cookbook signings, Ranch to Range cooking demos, and Oregon wine pairings. "The chefs and ranchers I work with are all passionate about sustainable farming," says Latham. "This event helps them educate consumers about the wealth of locally raised game."
Latham is a member of various culinary organizations, among them the American Institute of Food and Wine and the James Beard Foundation. He hosts wild game cooking classes at In Good Taste and donates product to many local charitable events.
Under Latham's keen leadership and creativity, Nicky USA has grown to be the Northwest's leading distributor and processor of the highest quality, sustainable wild game birds and meats, and natural and organic mainstream meats.
