Collard greens – a southern staple – are in full production in Georgia. Thanksgiving volumes were heavy and although John Williams of L.G. Herndon Jr. Farms say there may be a slight dip in demand for a week or so after the major holiday, it will build once again for Christmas. They offer supply for nine months out of the year, from September to around the end of May/ June 1. The farm also grows a selection of organics, such as collard greens kale, rainbow chard also. It’s a developing segment for them.
Supply has been good so far. “The greens are looking great in the field; we’ve had nice growing weather,” says Williams. They do flourish well in cooler temperatures but the temperatures haven’t dipped greatly yet. “We haven’t had a lot of cold days so far but they grow well when it cools down.” Herndon’s produce is distributed as far west as Tennessee and Kentucky but goes mainly to the southern and northeast states, including Pennsylvania.
Some parts of South Carolina may still have some supply but Williams says they may get frozen out at some point, “probably the turn of the year but it depends on what kind of weather they’ll have.” Georgia is the state that grows a lot of greens this time of year.
Consumption decrease
Even though collard greens remain close to the hearts of traditionalist consumers, Williams says there has been a bit of a decline in consumption since the 1990s, plus with the rise of kale’s popularity. “But, I think people still see collards as a southern staple and an item they want to cook. Like kale, it’s a dark dense green and it has a ton of nutrients in it. It’s healthy just like kale is – maybe even more so.”
Herndon County Farms does both bulk and processed collard greens. Their SuperFit Greens brand is available chopped in 1lb. and 2 lb. bags and also in a shredded skew. Shredded is the most popular item, according to Williams, especially in the south. “For 30 years we’ve been growing leafy greens and collard greens but now with the convenience in packaging our business has changed; we’re doing more packaging than bulk.” They’re able to offer retailers and wholesalers an entire program that includes value added items on the packaged side but can also be tailored with bulk items. “The majority of retailers still sell bunched collard greens, especially around the holidays. We’re able to offer bunches and packaged.”
For more information:
John Williams
L. G. Herndon Jr. Farms
Ph: 912-565-7640