Vidalia Sweet Produce showcasing onions at Southern Exposure
Vidalia Sweet Produce showcasing onions at Southern Exposure
Vidalia Sweet Produce is a premium year-round onion packer/shipper that specializes in the production of Vidalia sweet onions and the packing and distribution year-round of reds, whites and yellows. The company also grows and ships approximately 400 loads of watermelons between June 15 and July 15.
Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure is an annual event for the company and one its leaders look forward to each year.
“In our opinion, this is the biggest bang for our advertising budget,” said Tina Collins, CEO of the woman-owned farming corporation. “We hope to make new acquaintances and renew old friendships while enjoying all the opportunities the show provides.”
The Cobbtown, GA.-based company is run by the leaders of Collins Family Farms, a division of Vidalia Sweet Produce, and have more than four decades of experience in the produce industry.
Vidalia Sweet Produce offers its customers a full range of Vidalia onion package sizes, including consumer friendly two-, three-, four-, five- and 10-pound bags.
At the show, Collins will be joined by her husband, Ronny Collins; daughter Chelsea Strickland; and son-in-law John Strickland.
“We like to explore and learn about new trends and what ways to improve and changes we can make to improve our family farm,” Collins said.
Vidalia Sweet Produce will be behind booth No. 214, where it will display Peru sweet onions as well as red, white and yellow onions.
“We see the onion category as growing overall,” Collins said. “We’re seeing more demand for organics as well. Onions remain one of the most stable and growing produce categories due to versatility and year-round use.”
One of the goals of the Southern Exposure show is to network and Collins sees this as an important aspect for the growth of business. She’s looking forward to maintaining vendor relationships and seeing all the familiar faces who she has met over the years.
“It is a winning day just to be participating in the show, talking and mingling with everyone,” she said.
Recently, Vidalia Sweet Produce added an additional 10,000 square feet to its packing and cold storage facility to provide additional cold storage and additional space for watermelon packing.
“Our son-in-law, John Strickland, recently joined the family operation to help with growth and help carry the business forward to the next generation,” Collins said.
Looking forward to the rest of 2026, the company’s focus will be on strengthening the fundamentals that support consistent quality and dependable supply.
