It was back in 2007 when the memberships of the Ohio Fruit Growers Society, Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Association, and Direct Agricultural Marketers Association merged to form Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association, a unified effort to assist Ohio produce growers and marketers to be the best they can be.

Buurma Farms, which has farms in Gregory, MI and Willard, OH started planting its crops for the new season in April and is looking forward to what it hopes will be a strong season.

A few years ago, Scott Hart took over as head of Moultrie GA-based Producers Marketing, and started implementing changes to ensure the company was ahead of the curve and poised for the future. His actions have undoubtedly led to success, with improvements and growth to the packingshed and overall operations.

Rick McCranie, marketing manager for Producers Marketing, came on board in 2022 and has also been instrumental in the company’s growth.

Flavor 1st Growers & Packers, with more than eight generations of history behind it, knows what it takes to be successful in the produce industry. The company grows and packs more than 30 different varieties of produce — all tracked from field-to-fork using state-of-the-art distribution programs, labeling and procedures.

And 2023 has seen the company’s successes continue.

Shuman Farms’ roots are in Georgia, as the family-owned company has been farming in Southeast Georgia through two generations.

In the late 1990s, John Shuman restarted the family farm and has grown the organization into one of the largest growers and shippers of sweet onions in the world. Despite its growth and success, Shuman Farms remains a family-owned business at heart focusing on its four foundational pillars — serve, sustain, innovate and give back.

Georgia’s farmers provide consumers with a long list of healthy and tasty fresh fruits and vegetables. The state is, of course, famous for its peaches, peanuts and Vidalia sweet onions, but its climate is ideal for growing just about any crop, and Georgia’s growers provide excellent blueberries, greens, potatoes, mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes.