“Most of our volume is currently still coming out of Georgia,” Calvert Cullen, president of Northampton Growers, headquartered in Cheriton, VA, told The Produce News in late October. “But we are already harvesting some cucumbers and squash now in Plant City, Florida. We will start with hot peppers in Florida during the first week of November.”

Northampton Growers follows the growing seasons north and back south each year. Its movement runs from Florida, to Georgia, the Carolinas and then to Michigan before starting its return back south again in October.

The company’s crops are on a planting schedule that enables it to supply all of its commodity items to its customers year round without skipping a beat. It ships to retail chains, terminal markets wholesalers, foodservice operators and processors.

Calvert CullenFounded in 1959, Northampton Growers has growing operations and offices in Fairfield, NC, Moultrie, GA, Norman Park, GA, Hastings, FL, and Boynton Beach, FL. The company’s extensive line of produce includes peppers, cucumbers, squash, green beans, cabbage, leafy greens and onions.

Items that Northampton produces and ships from the Fairfield, NC, growing region are sold under the “Mattamuskeet” label. Products from other areas carry the “Plantation” brand.

Over the past half-century, Northampton Growers has evolved from a two-person operation to a company with more than 30 full-time staff members. Cullen and Steve McCready, who is also the company’s comptroller, are co-owners of the company.

Cullen announced another new addition to its ever-growing staff. About a year ago Northampton hired Ty Miller as its new quality-control director.

“Ty has been with us for about a year,” said Cullen. “He moves with the produce movement throughout the year. Wherever we’re packing, he’s at that packingshed making sure that everything is packed to our high quality standards.”

He noted that by mid-November, most all of the company’s products will be moving in Florida. Cabbage starts in Florida around Jan. 1, but the company’s cabbage crop will be available until Florida starts.

Noting the time of year, Cullen said that he feels that the eastern side of the country is pretty much out of the woods when it comes to tropical storms or hurricanes.

“The Gulf Stream is too cool now to support such storms,” he said. “And the forecast is looking pretty good right now for Florida fall crops.

From its Plant City farms, Northampton Growers will transition further south to Boynton Beach, where movement wills start around Dec. 1.

“We’re already planted there, of course,” Cullen said. “We should be at full force in Boynton Beach by about December 10.”

He noted how specialty peppers are continuing on a strong growth trend.

“Although we produce several varieties, it’s the Jalapenos that are the most highly demanded and have the strongest growth trend,” said Cullen. “Asian and Hispanic groups in particular use a lot of Jalapeno peppers, but they are becoming mainstream even with Americans.”

Commodity items are Northampton Growers’ claim to fame, and they are what the company plans to continue.

“We’re on the same program that we’ve always been on because it has always worked for us,” said Cullen.