Bland Farms: Innovation through the generations
Bland Farms: Innovation through the generations
At this year’s Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Innovations, Bland Farms will spotlight its Premium Sweet Onions alongside the innovations and sustainable practices that continue to shape its leadership in the category. The event also gives the company a chance to step out of the fields and into conversations that move the entire industry forward.
“Anytime we come to Southern Innovations, we’re just as excited to listen as we are to share,” said Troy Bland, CEO of Bland Farms. “You leave with new ideas, new relationships and plenty of ways to make your program stronger.”
That spirit of partnership defines the company, and it’s reinforced by Bland Farms’ approach to year-round supply. As the company prepares for its Premium Sweet Onions from Peru, it leans on nearly three decades of ownership and hands-on farming in the region. Today, those fields — now more than 1,000 acres — operate alongside farms in Georgia, Mexico and other U.S. states. Together, they provide a reliable, premium supply season after season.
Unlike many other operations, Bland Farms grows and manages its own crops in Peru. Troy and Delbert Bland, along with longtime agronomist Omar Cruz, are on the ground throughout the year. “We know these fields. They’re our fields, our people, our agronomy staff,” Bland said. “That direct involvement means we never have to worry where our onions are coming from. It gives us consistency year after year, and it means our retailers can depend on quality and supply.”
This level of oversight makes a seamless 52-week program possible, moving from Vidalia season in Georgia to Premium Sweet Onions from Peru and Mexico, both conventional and organic.
The same philosophy carries into Sand Candy Sweet Potatoes, produced in partnership with Battleboro Produce in North Carolina. This collaboration allows for steady supply year-round and centers on the Covington variety — widely regarded as the gold standard of sweet potatoes for its uniform size, rich orange flesh, natural sweetness, and strong disease resistance. “Covingtons check every box,” Bland noted. “They line up perfectly with what today’s consumers want — plant-forward meals, comfort food, healthier eating. And for our retail partners, they’re a proven seller.”
At the root of the company lies a dedication to innovation — it’s what drives the company to move forward with these partnerships, technology and sustainability. In its Organic Vidalia Sweet Onion fields, Bland Farms recently tested a Carbon Robotics’ laser weeder — an AI-driven tool that eliminates weeds with lasers instead of herbicides. Inside the packinghouse, the company has redesigned its climate control system, cutting 77 compressors down to just three. “We can heat and cool different parts of the facility with pinpoint accuracy,” Bland explained. “That dries onions faster and seals them better, which means longer shelf life for the consumer.”
Ultimately, each innovation serves a larger purpose: creating more sustainable ways to grow, pack and ship onions. Bland Farms has transitioned most of its forklifts from gas to electric and reduced plastic packaging by 32 percent through recyclable boxes and e-bags — efforts that earned the company the Pratt Environmental Impact Award in 2021. From cover crops and conservation tilling to advanced cooling and drying systems, every change reflects a larger commitment: protecting the land while delivering premium produce.
As a third-generation family business, that balance between progress and responsibility is deeply personal. “That’s farming. It keeps you humble,” Bland said, “but it also keeps you innovating, because nothing ever stays the same. Our job is to take care of the land and the communities in which we operate, making them better for tomorrow.”
Southern Innovations provides the perfect stage to share that vision and to hear from others across the industry. “We want buyers to see the innovation, but more importantly, we want to hear from them,” Bland said. “What’s working? What do their customers want? The more we learn, the better partners we can be.”
From pioneering controlled-atmosphere storage in the 1990s to testing laser weeding today, Bland Farms has always looked ahead while staying true to its roots. At Southern Innovations 2025, the company will show how partnerships, innovation, and stewardship all work together to raise the bar on sweet onions and sweet potatoes.
Visit Bland Farms at SEPC Southern Innovations 2025 booth No. 307.