The goal of Southern Valley Fruit & Vegetable is to consistently grow, pack and sell “the most sought-after label” of cucumbers and various other produce in the industry. The company says it wants to be known as an honest organization with integrity. It also strives to become friends with all of its customers. Southern Valley says these goals enable continuous growth and a strong customer base.

“Our mission is to consistently grow and package safe, high-quality perishable commodities that we can be proud of by using experience, technology and innovation in order to repeatedly provide our customers a product of high value and quality in a manner of such integrity and honesty that it will ensure their profitability, loyalty and repeat business.”

Georgia-based Southern Valley says its dedication to “real people, real service and real quality” has made it one of the top growers in the state.

Since its inception in 1987, Southern Valley has grown and shipped vegetables and fruits for customers such as Supervalu and Associated Wholesale Grocers and is the exclusive packer for Green Giant-labeled fresh vegetables. The company grows its own cucumbers, squash, peppers, eggplants and cabbage, and also packages and ships practically any other kind of vegetable imaginable.

Southern Valley estimates it handles more than 2.5 million packages of produce every year from its packing facility in Norman Park, Ga.

The company puts a great emphasis on quality control, and notes its production is bolstered with top-notch farmland that yields the best produce possible.  

It also uses innovative methods to ensure the quality of its products. For example, its cucumbers are grown on large nets on poles, which prevent the vegetables from growing unevenly or crooked.

“At Southern Valley, the pinnacle of our product list is our pole-grown cucumbers,” the company says. “However, our entire produce offering is excellent.”

The Lay of the Land
The company says it has some of the “best land in the business” for its crops. Southern Valley owns 2,200 acres in Georgia and more than 1,800 acres in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

It’s in these fields that Southern Valley grows its own crops and transplants; the company notes it goes to great lengths to ensure the land continues to bear fruit, as well as vegetables.

The land has to be high quality before planting can begin, the company says. Southern Valley’s land is laser-leveled to ensure it is flat enough for irrigation.

If the land is sloped or has any dips or valleys in it, water can collect in some areas, leaving other spots drier and yielding poorer produce.

Water that is not properly draining from farmland can also result in erosion, as the water carries layers of soil away from the crops. Erosion can result in vital nutrients from the soil being lost, and the soil that’s left turning barren.

Southern Valley takes regular soil samples from its farmland to test pH levels, texture and fertility.

The company also treats the water it uses for bi-carbonates, which can interfere with fertilizers and make them less effective. This way, the company does not run the risk of over-fertilizing its fields, which can have as negative an effect on the crops as over-watering or too much sun.

Southern Valley says it is very judicious in its use of fertilizer, relying more on the quality of the soil and water it uses to help the crops grow.