Join us as we go beyond the label with brands that we love at Martie. Today, we chat with Jonas Hanna, co-founder of South Forty.
We’re so excited to learn more about your journey building South Forty!
Martie: What’s the mission behind South Forty?
Our mission is to help people slow down, take the time, and enjoy life with amazingly simple and tasty snacks. This mission dates back to our early days as a sunflower seed company, a snack that holds a special place in many people’s memories. Sunflower seeds are unique because they aren’t just eaten, they’re experienced. Whether at a baseball game, on a road trip, or by a campfire, they naturally encourage a slower, more mindful way of snacking.
While we've grown far beyond sunflower seeds, our ethos remain the same: simplicity, great taste, and snacks that fit seamlessly into life’s best moments. Life is complicated, your snacks don’t need to be!
Martie: Shout out to the simple, small but mighty sunflower seed!
Martie: Tell us about your roots, and what role snacks play in it?
I grew up playing baseball, so naturally, sunflower seeds were a huge part of my upbringing. My teammates and I would go through countless bags each season - sometimes even making games out of them, like who could spit a seed the farthest or eat a handful the fastest.
My co-founder and our CEO, Josh, is a longtime family friend, and because of my baseball background, he reached out to me when he was launching South 40 to help market the seeds to ballplayers. I started by DMing dozens of pro baseball players, athletes, and influencers daily, sending out samples, and helping spread the word. Before long, I took on bigger roles - sales, bookkeeping, logistics - and eventually, I moved from Portland to Seattle to join Josh full-time as his co-founder.
Fast forward six years, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built - an amazing team, multiple product lines, and national distribution in major retailers.
Now, back to snacks. Working in this industry, snacks have taken over my life - I live, breathe, and sell snacks every day (something I never thought I’d say 10 years ago). But I love it. Personally, I’m mindful about what I put in my body and only eat snacks that taste great and have simple, minimally processed ingredients. Josh is the same way, and that’s the foundation of South 40 - we only launch products we’d eat ourselves.
Martie: we first tried South Forty at a trade show and we were blown away at the quality and how spot on the flavors, and ingredients were. Just as you said, simple and not over complicated.
Martie: What's behind the name, and what should people know about South Forty
South Forty is an old farming expression that refers to the lower 40 acres - the farthest, most remote portion of one’s property. We love its agricultural roots and the way it symbolizes stepping away from the rush of everyday life. It aligns perfectly with our mission of encouraging folks to slow down, embrace simplicity, and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Martie: Wow! That's so cool, we learned something new today and a great trivia question for our next game night ;)
Martie: What have been your biggest learnings while building South Forty?
I’ve learned so much the past five years, especially working alongside such a talented and experienced entrepreneur in Josh. Here are a few of my biggest learnings:
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Resilience and grit make all the difference. Building a business - especially in CPG - is really freaking challenging. Most fail after all. The odds are stacked against you and you face resistance at literally every step of the way. Every day comes with new challenges and the only way forward is to push relentlessly, adapt constantly, and keep moving no matter what.
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Success comes down to the people you surround yourself with. Early on, I fell into the common entrepreneurial trap of thinking I knew the business better than anyone and could do things better myself. I quickly learned that scaling requires surrounding yourself with people who are even better than you in specific areas. We’ve built a small but mighty team of experts in sales, finance, and supply chain — and they’re the reason we’ve grown into what we are today (and why we’ll continue growing at a fast pace).
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Relationships are everything. I’ve always known relationships are important (duh!) but I had no idea just how crucial they are in business. Before entering CPG, I assumed success was all about nailing the five P’s of marketing: product, price, packaging, promotion, and placement. While those are important (critical even), I’ve learned that people want to work with those they like and trust. Authentic relationships open doors that even the best products can’t.
Martie: We are big fans, and love that we get to introduce South Forty to the Martie shopper!
Martie: What’s next for South Forty?
Our next immediate big developments are two extremely exciting launches with a couple of the biggest and most important retailers in the world… more to come on this in the coming months!
In the medium and long term, we have some exciting new product launches planned and will continue working hard to grow our distribution and brand awareness to make the world’s simplest nut bars, fruit bars, and other snacks accessible to as many people as possible.
Martie: Ladies and Gents, you heard it here first! Stay tuned....
Martie: Why is working with Martie important to South Forty?
As a brand managing a complex global supply chain with many SKUs, we inevitably frequently have excess product that we need to move quickly. Martie provides an incredible solution — helping us get our great snacks into the hands of customers fast while also introducing our brand to new people at an unbeatable price.
We’re not alone — so many brands face the challenge of managing excess inventory. Martie offers a win-win solution: giving brands a sustainable way to move product while tackling the massive issue of food waste.
Unlike many discount retailers that pay suppliers pennies on the dollar, Martie offers fair prices while still delivering some of the best deals to their customers. It’s a model that benefits everyone — brands, consumers, and the planet.
