Food is one of the greatest uniters.
I realized this coming out of the holiday season. Looking at my Thanksgiving and Christmas tables, I noticed they are perfect microcosms for generational divides bridged by mouthwatering meals.
My grandfather was born in the Great Depression, my dad is a baby boomer, my mom falls between the boomer years and Gen X, I am a millennial, and my brother is a member of Gen Z. If you can’t tell by reading that list, discussions are fascinating, and debates run rampant.
However, as soon as the food hits the table, the confusion dissipates, and the disputes fade into loving care as we ensure plates are full and mouths are fed. In a world of divisiveness, quality products—especially produce—hold the power to bring us together, regardless of the era that claims us.
Over the years, companies like Shuman Farms have tapped into this idea and perpetuated it. Now, the onion expert is turning attention to the next generation of consumers—Gen Z and beyond—sharing this message and helping them understand the value of purchasing products from brands they can trust to support their ideals.
“Younger generations prioritize knowing the story about where their food comes from. They are concerned with environmental impact, supporting local economies, and searching for fresher and more sustainable options,” explains John Shuman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “At Shuman Farms, it is important for us to show our consumers not only how we provide the very best premium sweet onions 12 months out of the year, but also how we do so by being stewards of what we’ve been given.”
Headquartered in the center of the Vidalia® growing region in Southeast Georgia, family-owned Shuman Farms has been in the sweet onion industry for two generations. The grower began in the mid-1980s with a small family farm in Reidsville, Georgia, and today is an industry-leading, year-round grower and shipper of premium sweet onions.
“At Shuman Farms, it is important for us to show our consumers not only how we provide the very best premium sweet onions 12 months out of the year, but also how we do so by being stewards of what we’ve been given.”
John Shuman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Shuman Farms
Throughout the years, Shuman Farms has earned a reputation for tradition and history in the Southeastern United States. Just as consumers and buyers have evolved throughout the years, so too has Shuman, growing along with them, fostering a constant connection between its partners and their shoppers.
As millennials and Gen Z make their way into grocery stores across the country, Shuman Farms is committed to showcasing its dedication to generational stewardship. In other words, the company is passing down sustainable and environmentally responsible practices and values to each generation of Shuman Farms, and they are using innovative, modern-day marketing tools to share this message.
“It is our honor to be named the Official Sweet Onion Grower of the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Southern Eagles—two universities vital to their communities and the Southeastern U.S.,” John imparts as an example. “Partnering with these two athletic programs will help us drive education to new shoppers about healthy eating while promoting sweet onions as an essential ingredient, especially on game day.”
The grower is also going beyond the borders of Georgia, taking its premium onions to the virtual world as it utilizes digital marketing strategies that strike a national chord.
“We curate our content to make sure we are answering the most asked questions about sweet onions and the produce industry in general. Engaging content such as recipes, farming stories, and initiatives helps to make the next generation aware of what we are doing,” John details. “Younger generations tend to be adventurous with their food choices, seeking out unique varieties, driven by their desire to learn more about the food they are eating. The Vidalia onion has a rich history, helping to elevate an otherwise simple category: onions. We strive to communicate the uniqueness and versatility of our onions to consumers, often collaborating with influencers, local chefs, and other brand partners to increase our visibility with the younger demographic.”
“As a U.S. farmer based in Georgia, our Vidalia and Peruvian sweet onion programs not only yield high-quality produce, but they also empower us to provide jobs that significantly contribute to the economic growth of the Southeastern United States,” John continues. “This impact is particularly important to the next generation of shoppers as it aligns with their increasing emphasis on supporting businesses that prioritize community well-being.”
“We strive to communicate the uniqueness and versatility of our onions to consumers, often collaborating with influencers, local chefs, and other brand partners to increase our visibility with the younger demographic.”
Through its messaging, Shuman Farms has managed to engage a new generation of shoppers and successfully promote its initiatives that give back. With the efforts of its team at Healthy Family Project®, Feeding America® bag promotions, and supporting breast cancer awareness every October, the company has been able to provide funds and resources to those in need, including the more than 34 million people—9 million of those children—that face food insecurity in the United States.
“As farmers and food producers in America, it is our responsibility not only to shed light on this crisis but also to do something about it. Through our various charitable projects, Shuman Farms and Healthy Family Project have donated 18 million meals to Feeding America, supporting initiatives that help get food to families and children who face food insecurity,” John enlightens me.
Shuman Farms’ Healthy Family Project team also plays a vital part in helping share the value of nutritious eating and aiding families with all aspects of health: nutrition, physical, and mental. Moving forward, this concept will continue to serve as a valuable aspect of its next-generation marketing strategy.
“Educating online and in-store consumers about the health benefits of eating a nutritious diet filled with fresh produce is important to our mission,” adds John. “We will focus on making this content engaging so consumers don’t feel like they are being talked at about eating healthier. Some ‘edutainment’ will go a long way as we continue to curate our content to ensure it is inspiring and useful.”
As we get older, it is said you can either get with the times or fall behind. With all that it has left to give and achieve, Shuman Farms is one company that refuses to be left in the dust. Instead, the grower and its products will be part of the unification across the dinner table for decades to come, building generational bridges one sweet onion at a time. 
