G&R Farms co-owner Pam Durrence Dasher, known as a prominent farmer, businesswoman and Vidalia sweet onion pioneer, died July 24 at age 79, the company announced.
Dasher had been co-owner of the Glennville, Ga.-based third-generation Vidalia onion grower since 2003, according to a news release. She joined the business in 1962 when she married her high school sweetheart, Gerald W. Dasher. Following her husband’s untimely death, Dasher assumed co-ownership and management of the company alongside her brother-in-law, Robert Dasher.
Throughout the years, Dasher worked side-by-side with her husband and his brother as they grew the farm and helped build what is known today as a leading year-round global sweet onion empire, the release said. Though Dasher served as office manager of G&R Farms for many years, she often could be found grading onions or doing any other necessary job as the farming operation grew, the company said.
G&R Farms employees fondly recalled Dasher’s attention to detail, pride in a job well done and a balance of work and family without exception, according to the release.
“She was filled with the truest of Southern grit and charm, exuding confidence and a gentle spirit which always lent a calming presence in a fast-paced produce world,” the company said in the announcement.
In addition to cultivating their farm, Pam and Gerald Dasher also sought to cultivate a brand —not just that of G&R Farms, but also of the sweet onion itself. The Dashers were the first growers to market sweet onions directly to supermarkets, cementing the popularity and success of the crop and their own company, according to the release.
They also traveled together, sharing the benefits of this unique sweet onion, and helped to secure the passage of the Vidalia Onion Act by the Georgia General Assembly, the release said.
“From the earliest of years, Pam was the backbone of the office, providing the structured support Gerald and Robert needed so they could focus on sales and production,” G&R Farms CEO Blake Dasher said in the release. “It was her unwavering support and quiet confidence that helped build the foundation that we continue to grow from today, and there’s no doubt she was a tiny giant among men.”
Dasher was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and other family members. She is survived by her children, Paige Dasher Mulligan (husband Mike) and Gerald Walter “Walt” Dasher II (wife Anita), along with many beloved grandchildren and family.
Funeral services were scheduled for July 28 at Glennville First Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Ogeechee Area Hospice at P.O. Box 531, Statesboro, Ga., 30459.
