Duda Farm develops "celery straws"

A newcomer to South Georgia’s agribusiness is garnering headlines as well as a soundbyte on the Jay Leno Show with an inventive new kind of celery, a hollow celery stalk that you can drink through like a straw. No doubt, its inventors envisioned an edible tool to enhance a popular libation, the Bloody Mary.

A. Duda and Sons, Inc. of Florida, who opened a frozen and diced celery operation in Thomasville this year, spent 15 years developing this variety of its trademark crop – a fresh celery straw.

The Duda name is a hallmark for success. The fourth generation family-owned company has been in business for 77 years and their operations extend across the U.S. Its California-based varietal celery seed research program is unrivaled, with scientists creating 1,200 new lines of celery annually. Since the first cash crop of celery in 1926, the Duda company has diversified into citrus, sod, sugar cane, cattle and real estate.

The process for canning and freezing celery which is the heart of the Thomasville operation was also developed and patented by Duda. The company is the nation’s primary supplier of frozen and canned celery for food service and institutional users. Duda hopes to expand its opportunities in Thomasville, its first Georgia facility, to processing other fruits and vegetables including locally grown items, such as onions.

“The Thomasville plant gives us ample room to expand our processes and value-added fruit and vegetable line,” said F. S. Duda, CEO. With the Duda track record, Georgia’s agribusiness can anticipate further exciting ventures. As for the Florida-grown celery straw, look for it in the supermarkets in about six months.

Source: edsuite.com