“We’ve had a busy winter,” said Jimmy Myrick, vice president of Edward L. Myrick Produce. “We wish prices were a little bit better for our farmers but we’re doing OK.”
Edward L. Myrick Produce serves a diverse clientele, from chain retailers to food banks and wholesalers, throughout the continental United States, Canada and the Bahamas. The company relies heavily on Georgia’s agricultural output to ensure that its customers are consistently well-stocked year-round.
“Right now, the hot item is watermelon but what’s trending changes week to week,” Myrick said. “Right before Easter, green beans and squash are the hot items. After Easter, it will be something else.”
This season, from now until July 1, is particularly crucial for the company, as Vidalia onions kick off in April, followed by beans, cucumbers and squash. These three crops constitute Myrick’s largest focus in Georgia, with approximately 1,800 acres dedicated to them. The company also trades in eggplant, peppers, cabbage, hot peppers and onions.
“Mid-May, green beans and cucumbers start, then some squash and hot peppers,” Myrick said. “We didn’t change much of the program this year though we will have a little bit of cabbage as well. It’s basically status quo for Georgia right now.”
Things started a little wet, so that’s held things up a bit, but it’s too early to predict what the season will look like in mid-April. But hope is always on a strong and profitable crop!
“We think it’s going to be about the same as normal because we haven’t added much or done anything different this year,” Myrick said.
Myrick emphasizes the unique agricultural advantages that Georgia offers, thanks to its variety of soil types—including muckland, sand and clay—which are conducive to growing multiple crops.
“Plus, you’ll find some of the nicest people in the world in Georgia,” Myrick said. “All the farmers are great, and they work together. The Georgia Grown thing is very strong. It’s a close-knit community and they try to help each other. It’s an interesting place.”
The biggest challenge right now in Georgia is the high cost of labor.
“It’s really gotten out of hand,” Myrick said. “Most farming operations use H-2A labor and that keeps going up every year, and the costs of just about everything our farmers do goes up, but the prices themselves are remaining stagnant. That’s our biggest concern right now.”
In Florida, conditions are looking good, and the company is happy about what’s happening there right now, and Edward L. Myrick Produce continues to do what it always has to stay successful.
“We come in every day, work hard and try to do the best we can,” Myrick said.
Photo: Ed Myrick and Jimmy Myrick of Myrick Produce
