February 2024 - 18

LEAFY VEGETABLES
Going
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
F
amily and a dedication to producing distinctive crops
are parts of the recipe of success for Baker Farms LLC.
The third generation family-run grower, shipper
and processor of leafy greens has been growing
vegetables in southwest Georgia since 1970.
The desire to not push a product on a customer that
wasn't of consistent quality was one reason the Ellenton,
Georgia, operation decided to move away from traditional
southern vegetables to leafy greens.
18 | FEBRUARY 2024
Baker Farms grows more than
5,000 acres of leafy greens,
including collard greens, its top
crop. Photos by Doug Ohlemeier.
BAKER FARMS LEAVES TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN VEGETABLES
FOR LEAFY GREENS
In 1970, when he was in his early 20s, Terry Baker,
founder and CEO, was working in the pork industry for
Swift Farms in accounting and general management. He
entered farming after declining a relocation offer. Baker
started growing small amounts of tobacco, green and
yellow squash, cotton and peanuts.
Later that decade, he expanded squash acreage
and began growing red potatoes, cucumbers and bell
peppers. Later still, he added cabbage and greens, which
became a favorable cash item.
The move proved timely as greens became more popular
in the 2000s. Collards have long been Baker Farms'

February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2024

Editor's Letter
Michigan Vegetable Council honors experts
GLEXPO Bus Tour
2023 Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 awards
A different tool in fighting herbicide resistance
Going greens
Replacing plastic with cover crops
Farm Market & Agritourism
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
February 2024 - 1
February 2024 - 2
February 2024 - Editor's Letter
February 2024 - 4
February 2024 - 5
February 2024 - Michigan Vegetable Council honors experts
February 2024 - 7
February 2024 - GLEXPO Bus Tour
February 2024 - 9
February 2024 - 10
February 2024 - 11
February 2024 - 2023 Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 awards
February 2024 - 13
February 2024 - A different tool in fighting herbicide resistance
February 2024 - 15
February 2024 - 16
February 2024 - 17
February 2024 - Going greens
February 2024 - 19
February 2024 - 20
February 2024 - 21
February 2024 - 22
February 2024 - 23
February 2024 - Replacing plastic with cover crops
February 2024 - 25
February 2024 - 26
February 2024 - 27
February 2024 - 28
February 2024 - 29
February 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism
February 2024 - 31
February 2024 - Classifieds
February 2024 - 33
February 2024 - Advertiser Index
February 2024 - 35
February 2024 - 36
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