Vidalia onion growers Chase Brannen and Ben Hilliard, who co-founded B&H Farms in 2004, were honored at the Annual Vidalia Onion Committee Awards Banquet on Feb. 24 when their operation was named Grower of the Year.
“We congratulate Chase and Ben of B&H Farms for this fantastic accomplishment,” Cliff Riner, Chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee, said in a March 13 VOC release. “The 2022 season was another great year for Vidalia onions, and we’re looking forward to a good harvest in the coming season.”
The company was created by the two friends who have long shared a love for farming, and today Ben and Chase grow some 300 acres of Vidalia onions as well as watermelons. They also raise Angus-crossed cattle and have a rotation between peanuts and cotton. Additionally, the two men take part in fundraising initiatives run by Shriner Temples, Masonic Lodges and 4-H groups around the nation.
Thanks to the commitment the growers have to quality and technology, B&H Farms is considered a pioneer in contemporary farming. According to the VOC release, Ben and Chase “have tried to continually adapt new practices and technology into the operation, including investment in machinery, land purchases, and irrigation systems to continuously improve their functions.”
And B&H is strongly committed to using new processes and technology to increase the quality of their products.
“We appreciate this honor so much. We’ve been working at this a long time, and it’s great to have this accomplishment,” Ben said. “You’ve been very generous and inviting in an industry that is not always inviting, and for that, we are grateful. Hopefully, we will have a great crop this year. We love what we do, and we will continue to do it. Thank you again!”
