Partners in Produce

Norman Park, PA
Terry Baker started Baker Farms with a few acres of crops. Terry slowly began experimenting with different crops, new planting methods, and began to expand. In 1989, Terry's son Joe officially entered into a partnership with his father. Baker Farms is a proud member of the Leafy Greens Council, Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, and Georgia Grown. Baker Farms upholds the highest standards of food safety, as evidenced by their "Superior" audit rating by PrimusGFS, a leading private auditor of fresh produce companies utilizing a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized audit scheme.

Fellsmere, FL
In business for over 145 years, B&W takes being the best in baby leaves seriously. They’ve developed some of the most sophisticated farms and unique techniques for growing the best baby leaves in the world. B&W’s farming operations span eight states, enabling them to grow products where they are always in season, at peak freshness and optimal flavor; providing 100% natural products year round. With sustainability and smart farming in mind, B&W utilizes sophisticated water regeneration and recirculation systems that limit runoff; saving our valuable water resources.

Ashburn, GA
Gerald and Joyce Calhoun founded Calhoun Produce in 1982. Located in Ashburn, GA, their small row crop operation grew into a diversified agricultural business specializing in fresh shelled butter beans and peas. Calhoun Produce, Inc., now ran by Gerald and Joyce's children is a Georgia Farm Bureau Association certified Farm Market, a founding member of the Georgia Agritourism Association, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, North American Direct Farm Market Association, and Georgia Strawberry Growers Association.

Oviedo, FL
With a passion for growing fresh fruits for nearly 100 years, Duda Farms began with Andrew Duda who had just 40 acres of farm land and a dream. Six generations later, the Duda family continues Andrew’s legacy by bringing their farm fresh products featuring the Dandy® brand to your kitchen table. Trust that Dandy® products are grown, harvested, and shipped with quality and care – from the Dandy family to your family!
Mills River, NC
Deeply rooted in the produce industry, Flavor First’s origins back to 1798 when James Noble Johnson began farming the fertile soils of Buncombe County, NC. In 1998, Kirby Johnson and Mitch Gaither formed Johnson Farms Repack. In 2003, Brian Rose came aboard and the company name was changed to FLAVOR 1st Growers & Packers. 8 generations later, Flavor 1st’s farm and repacking facility are still centered in the fertile mountain valley of Mills River, North Carolina, just north of Hendersonville and south of Asheville. FLAVOR 1st grows and packs 31 different varieties of produce, all tracked from field to fork using state of the art distribution programs, labeling, and procedures.

Dundee, FL
Florida Classic Growers began in 1924 when the Dundee Citrus Growers Association (CGA) was formed. Today, Dundee CGA is one of the largest fresh fruit cooperatives in the Florida citrus industry and is comprised of some of the oldest cooperatives in the state. A consistent leader in volume, Dundee CGA harvests over 10,000 acres of membership fruit over a nine month growing season, including grapefruit, kumquats, navels, oranges, pumelos, tangelos and tangerines; ensuring extended citrus availability.

Delray Beach, FL
Fresh Start Produce Sales™ was founded in 1996 by Pete Austin and Theo Rumble in Boca Raton, FL. Fresh Start began as a small grower’s sales agent/brokerage and developed into a year-round, grower-based sales company. Fresh Start’s foundation is built upon their growing partnerships and expansive network of farms. Next to their growers, their greatest asset as a company is experience; Fresh Start’s staff collectively holds over 200 years of produce industry experience.

Balm, FL
Situated on 1500 acres in sunny Central Florida, Goodson Farms is a family owned and operated business. Goodson Farms operates their own packing, processing, and cooling facilities, all of which is located on their premises in Balm, Florida. Goodson produces bell peppers, cauliflower, cucumbers, hot peppers, strawberries, and many varieties of squash.

Fort Valley, GA
Father-son duo, Bill and Will McGehee, formed The Genuine Georgia Group, LLC in 2008 to market and sell their family’s peaches. In 2015, a unique partnership was formed; creating a working relationship with all five of the commercial peach farms in the state of Georgia - Pearson Farm and Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley, Taylor Orchards in Reynolds, Dickey Farms in Musella, and Fitzgerald Fruit Farm in Woodbury. Talk about peach power - Genuine Georgia’s peachy partnership guarantees a consistent supply of juicy, delicious Georgia grown peaches along with pricing integrity.

Snow Hill, NC
Father-son duo, Bill and Will McGehee, formed The Genuine Georgia Group, LLC in 2008 to market and sell their family’s peaches. In 2015, a unique partnership was formed; creating a working relationship with all five of the commercial peach farms in the state of Georgia - Pearson Farm and Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley, Taylor Orchards in Reynolds, Dickey Farms in Musella, and Fitzgerald Fruit Farm in Woodbury. Talk about peach power - Genuine Georgia’s peachy partnership guarantees a consistent supply of juicy, delicious Georgia grown peaches along with pricing integrity.

Reidsville, GA
Hillside puts their best into their crops so you can put wholesome, delicious food on your table. For four generations, Hillside Gardens Ltd. has been growing root vegetables with farms in Ontario, Canada and Reidsville, Georgia. Implemented with the help of OMAFRA, their innovative traceability system allows tracing of every bag of produce sold from the time it is planted as a seed to its final retail destination. In 2009, Hillside Garden received the Minister’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence for their traceability system.

Alto, GA
The Echols family at Jaemor Farms has been harvesting crops from their family owned land for 107 years. It all started with cotton and a few peach trees in 1912. After a few years of growing this king row crop, they focused on those few peach trees and began selling peaches on the side of Old Cornelia Highway. Later they began to grow apples as well. In 2002, Jaemor’s diversification expanded and gradually came to include strawberries, blackberries, muscadines, scuppernongs, concord grapes, watermelon, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins and more.

Moultrie, GA
L&M was founded in 1964 by Joe McGee. Joe grew up on a small family farm in Johnston County, North Carolina where his parents taught him the value of a hard day’s work and strong relationships. More than five decades later, those lessons continue to be the recipe for L&M’s success - hard work, respect, passion, leadership and excellence – with unyielding integrity.

Lyons, GA
Family owned and operated for more than 30 years. Herndon Farms originated in 1979, under the inspiration of L. G. “Bo” Herndon Jr. He began his farming career with only one small tractor, a small piece of land, and a few hogs. His wife Gill, worked outside of the home for 14 years to take care of the household expenses so the farm’s income could be generated back into the business. Herndon now produces 500 acres of Vidalia Sweet On-ions, 900 acres of sweet corn (white, yellow, and bi-color), 500 acres of leafy green vegetables (collards, mustard, turnips and kale) and 200 acres of sweet potatoes. Herndon Farms is a member of the Vidalia-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce and the Toombs-Montgomery-Vidalia Onion Growers Association.

Cordele, GA
In 1965, C.M. “Buddy” Leger began shipping watermelons throughout Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and Missouri. In the early 1980’s, he and other industry leaders saw a need for watermelon research and promotion. They founded the National Watermelon Promotion Board. Greg’s years of diligence, effort, and care has led Leger & Son to become one of the leading growers and shippers in the southeast. In 2008, Leger & Son received the PMA Impact Award for being the first fresh produce shipper to incorporate Harvest Mark’s unit traceability system into their watermelon program. This innovative move put Leger on the map.

Tifton, GA
Lewis Taylor began farming in Tifton, Georgia in the 1930’s as a transplant producer for the Southeastern United States. Today Lewis Taylor Farms is one of the largest privately owned vegetable and greenhouse operations in the Southeast. Purchased from their families in 1985 Bill Brim and Ed Walker set out to change the their business as they knew it. In 1989 they built the first greenhouses and 2 years later they began growing produce. After 4 years they built their first of two packing facilities. Now over 80 years later Lewis Taylor Farms grows more than 6500 acres of produce each year. They have continued to grow and add to their greenhouse operation with currently 81 greenhouses at just under 900,000 sq ft of growing space as well as 6 circle pivots holding all 80 million pine seedlings they grow each year.

Blue Ridge, GA
Located in beautiful Blue Ridge, Georgia, family owned and operated since 1943, Mercier’s four generations strong apple orchard has expanded over the years to include strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, plums, and nectarines.

Immokalee, FL
Max Lipman planted his first tomato in the 1930’s simply to provide for his family. Following the same fundamental practices Max did more than 80 years ago, Lipman has grown into the largest field tomato grower in North America. Lipman’s comprehensive food safety program encompasses their entire farming and packing operation; ensuring availability of quality produce year round. Lipman is geographically diverse with more than 30 locations to farm, pack and ship produce throughout North America, Lipman grows in year-round in optimal conditions that allow for the highest yield per plant. To develop plants that not only bear nutrient-rich and flavorful fruit, but also produce a high-yielding crop, Lipman has invested millions in research and development, resulting in Lipman’s proprietary varieties being a superior, better tasting product.-