Every decision matters: From the field to the family table
Every decision matters: From the field to the family table
In fresh produce, the journey from field to family table is shaped by thousands of decisions—most of them made long before a shopper fills a basket. When to harvest. How to handle. Where to store. How quickly to move product. Each choice influences quality, flavor and trust.
That belief sits at the heart of this year’s Southeast Produce Council Southern Exposure show, held March 6–8 in Orlando, where the industry gathers under the theme From Fields to Families: Nourishing Our Nation.
For Bland Farms, that message reflects more than 75 years of feeding families across America. The story began on 50 acres in southeast Georgia, where Raymond Bland grew peanuts, corn, and tomatoes, and the entire family packed and shipped produce to markets across the country.
Delbert Bland grew up working alongside his family on the farm and later planted its first crop of Vidalia® Sweet Onions. That decision expanded the business and established Bland Farms as today’s largest grower, packer, and shipper of Vidalia® Sweet Onions, now led by CEO Troy Bland and serving retail and foodservice partners nationwide.
Growth has come through steady decisions made season after season—choices rooted in quality, accountability, and follow‑through. Each onion grown carries that history forward, connecting the field to households and kitchens across the country.
Retailers and foodservice operators connect the field to the family table, and Bland Farms plans its growing and packing with handling, display, and preparation in mind. Freshness, shelf life, and consistency remain priorities because they directly affect performance at retail and in professional kitchens.
The company’s portfolio—including Vidalia® Sweet Onions, Premium Sweet Onions, and Sand Candy® Sweet Potatoes—is grown and packed with those needs in mind, helping partners deliver dependable quality to consumers.
“Every decision made on the farm eventually reaches a family,” says Sloan Lott, Director of Sales at Bland Farms and Chairman of the Southeast Produce Council Board. “Our responsibility is to grow and deliver product that partners can rely on, from the first shipment to the last.”
