Benny “Buck” DeTroy Shuman Jr. died May 31, 2024, at 91. Shuman was the patriarch of Shuman Farms, one of the largest growers of Vidalia onions.
Shuman founded Shuman Fertilizer in the 1960s and began farming in Reidsville, Ga. In the 1980s, he grew onions, bell peppers, cabbage and more. In the late 1980s, he grew his first crop of Vidalia onions.
“Through the ’80s there were some tough times, as many farmers were hit hard by the National Farm Crisis, including my dad,” Shuman Farms President and CEO John Shuman said on the Mr. Buck’s Farm Fresh brand’s website. “He was able to keep the business open for a few more years, until 1994 when he had to close Shuman Fertilizer.”
In the 1990s, Shuman became a seed representative for D. Palmer, and over the next several years, he developed Vidalia varieties such as Miss Megan, named after his granddaughter, and Sapelo, named after the Sapelo River on the Georgia coast where Shuman liked to fish.
John Shuman restarted the family farm in the 1990s.
“While my father was busy developing world-famous Vidalia onion varieties, my sincere admiration for his hard work, dedication and love of the land inspired me to restart the family farming business after graduating college in 1994,” John Shuman said on the company website. “Dad used his experience and reputation to introduce me to a lot of great friends and contacts in the industry, which helped me get the business off the ground.”
Buck Shuman’s likeness appears on the farm’s Mr. Buck’s Farm Fresh line. The company said the brand conveys everything he stood for: “his love of the land, his friendship to everyone, his smile, and his integrity.”
The Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame inducted Buck Shuman in 2013 and John Shuman in 2020.
Buck Shuman was born Jan. 4, 1933, in Reidsville. He was married to Brenda Grinstead for 37 years before her death, and they had four children together. He was married to Majorie Franklin for 24 years until his death.
Shuman served as a Reidsville City Council member, as president of the Reidsville Jaycees, on the board of the Tattnall Bank, was a board member of Chem-Nut and a was 14-year member of the Tattnall County Board of Education.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Majorie Shuman; his four children, Anna Shuman, Ben Shuman, John (Lana) Shuman and Mark (Victoria) Shuman; stepchildren Marcie (Chris) Garrett and Matt (Dawn) Davis; and seven grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives.
