G&R FARMS
A Research-Minded Approach Story by Denise Keller, Editor Photos courtesy G&R Farms
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willingness to try something new on the farm comes easier to some than others. With a background in university extension and research, a little experimentation in production practices is well within Cliff Riner’s comfort zone. Soon after swapping his career at the University of Georgia for one at G&R Farms, Riner began coupling his research skills with the farm’s longstanding history in Vidalia onion production and is now seeing positive changes in the farm’s soil health and crop production. G&R Farms, owned by Robert, Pam and Walt Dasher, grows onions, corn, peanuts, cotton and soybeans in Glennville, Georgia. In addition, G&R raises cattle, manages several thousand acres of timberland and conducts forest management for other landowners.
The farm’s claim to fame, however, is growing Vidalia onions since 1945, according to Riner. The farm’s Vidalia crop is planted on 850 acres, including 50 to 60 acres of organic ground. Vidalias are marketed from mid-April through August. In 2009, G&R Farms began importing Peruvian onions and now imports 800 container ships of onions from Peru to market in late summer through the winter. Between the Peruvian imports and the Vidalia crop, G&R Farms is a year-round supplier of sweet onions.
Making Adjustments
Riner joined G&R Farms as the director of crop production in the summer of 2018. But his onion career began while attending the University of Georgia. As a student, he worked at the Vidalia Onion
and Vegetable Research Center during the summer and did vegetable research during the school year. After graduation, he worked as a Tattnall County extension agent in the main hub of Vidalia onion production for seven years. He then spent five years at the research center as an area extension specialist for onions, overseeing the state’s onion production and coordinating research. Having always enjoyed the farming aspect of his career, he saw the job opening at G&R Farms as a good opportunity. Now in his fourth onion season, he finds himself approaching problems in the field similar to a research project, developing a hypothesis, parameters and a game plan. “My job for a lot of years was to try new things, and for a lot of farmers, that’s not what they’re used to. They’re
Cliff Riner shows off some Vidalia onions at harvest. The director of crop production at G&R Farms is using his background in research to micromanage practices that influence onion quality.
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Onion World • January 2022