Family Tradition Meets Modern Innovation in the Produce Aisle

Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a produce company tracing its roots back to the 1920s, when founder Andrew Duda first planted and harvested celery on 40 acres of land.

Nearly 100 years have passed since that initial venture, and the company remains family-owned, now spanning six generations who continue to build upon the legacy begun by Andrew Duda.

Today, it offers products under the Dandy® brand, including celery, citrus, lettuce, radishes, sweet corn, broccoli, and cauliflower, among others.

Its commitment to making fresh produce widely available has led to growing operations across thousands of acres in Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Arizona, and California.

From the earliest days, celery has been at the heart of the company’s mission. An anecdote often cited within the family involves Andrew Duda insisting that celery was a suitable crop because every part of the plant could be shipped, whereas many other crops generate more waste.

By 1926, he had started taking his harvest to market, laying the foundation for further expansion. In 1953, the Duda family officially launched the Dandy® brand, which became recognizable to grocery store shoppers and restaurant buyers.

By the 1960s, the company acquired citrus groves to supply the oranges and grapefruits for which Florida is known. In subsequent decades, it grew further, introducing radishes, lettuce, sweet corn, and more into its line of offerings.

Throughout the years, the company embraced new techniques. By 1979, its fields had expanded beyond Florida and the U.S. border, while in 2008, Duda opened a modern facility in Oxnard, California, to handle fresh-cut celery products.

The following years saw other community and marketing endeavors, such as donating a salad bar to a local high school in Oviedo, Florida, partnering with the Biggest Loser TV show in 2013, sponsoring a garden at San Francisco’s AT&T Ballpark in 2016, and celebrating that same year its 90th anniversary in produce.

These initiatives reflect an interest in civic engagement as well as a focus on branding the Dandy name in different consumer spaces.

An ongoing part of Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ approach is its emphasis on responsible farming practices and environmental stewardship.

According to the company, about 33% of all celery consumed in the United States is grown by Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ network of growers. Having such a large share of the celery market, the family-owned enterprise places a great deal of importance on non-GMO plant breeding and implementing new methods to conserve resources.

This is evidenced by their adoption of laser leveling in the fields to improve water distribution, as well as installing drip irrigation systems and water sensors to gauge exactly how much water is needed.

By optimizing field sizes and locations through GPS technology, the company seeks to use land as efficiently as possible while maintaining harvest quality.

Celery has been at the center of Duda’s production for almost a century. | Image: Courtesy of Duda

Water conservation efforts continue to be a major theme for Duda Farm Fresh Foods. The business states that through updated irrigation methods, it has cut applied water use on farms by 30%.

From the cooling process for its freshly harvested celery to the shipping and distribution steps, the company aims to reduce its environmental impact at every stage. It also mentions that integrated pest management is part of its routine practice, relying on beneficial insects whenever possible to minimize the need for chemical interventions.

The belief is that the land will remain viable for future generations by marrying old and new technologies, from scouts and licensed pest-control advisors to digital tracking.

In recent years, the company has looked closely at its packaging, working in collaboration with sustainability consultants. Data collection processes analyze not only primary packaging (the part that consumers take home) but also secondary and tertiary packaging, which might be used in distribution and transport.

By 2021, Duda had established a “Sustainable Packaging Baseline” and formed a team to focus on finding ways to increase recyclable and reusable materials. The initial findings indicated that while most secondary and tertiary packaging is recyclable, only about half of the primary packaging fits that criterion.

Now, the company is testing new substrates and exploring methods to incorporate more post-consumer materials to cut back on virgin plastics. It is also examining ways to reduce plastic usage without compromising food safety or shelf life.

Another topic of current interest for Duda Farm Fresh Foods is mechanized harvesting, which the company is looking into to improve efficiency. Alongside that, solar panels now power roughly 40% of the California facility that handles fresh-cut celery.

By diversifying its efforts, addressing water usage, packaging, pest control, and energy efficiency, the company tries to ensure its produce remains available and meets modern sustainability benchmarks. Company representatives note that sustainable methods have been a necessity for nearly a century in order to maintain farmland and keep it productive for the long term.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods also pursues promotional campaigns to keep consumers interested and aware of its products. One ongoing event is the annual “Dip It 2 Win It” sweepstakes, which returns each football season to highlight celery as a gameday snacking staple.

Consumers have the chance to win a grand prize of $1,000 and smaller weekly prizes. The company shares recipes and snack ideas on social media and through email marketing, encouraging people to pair celery with various dips.

Besides celery, Duda also produces other crops, such as broccoli and sweet corn. | Image: Courtesy of Duda

The push to have products in place during the early winter months, leading up to the largest football games, has become a significant driver of sales.

Even after nearly a century of operation, Duda Farm Fresh Foods aims to remain relevant and competitive, relying on a combination of family tradition and contemporary strategies. Initiatives around sustainability, packaging innovation, and consumer engagement suggest that the same resourceful thinking that brought Andrew Duda’s first load of celery to market in 1926 continues in a modern form.

The company’s leaders appear to see responsible stewardship and mindful product development as essential to forging a future for the next generation of growers and produce consumers.