|
Onion
World July/August 2004
›› A Perfect
Fit: Dogs & Onions
|
Idaho woman brings her two professions together to make the most out of life.
Onion WorldJuly/August 2004
By Carrie Kennington
Editor
The day had barely started, but Belinda Tucker was
already beaming with the possibilities.
"The sun is shining, and it is such a beautiful day," she says
in a voice that invokes a smile to anyone she meets. And why shouldn't
she be happy? She's found the two most enjoyable professions for her and
molded them into one: dog trainer and onion buyer.
Wait a minute. How do those fit together?
"A lot of growers that don't know me have seen these dogs and often
wonder, what in the world is she doing?" Tucker laughs at the thought.
It's been her life for the past 22 years. Every spring she hops into her
motor home with her dogs and heads south. On a tour of duty, Tucker winds
around south Texas and New Mexico to buy onions and train dogs.
With an onion buying business like hers, she could sit in an air-conditioned
office all summer. She could finalize her onion sales over the phone.
But Tucker likes to meet her business contacts. As president of Twilight
Agro Sales Inc., New Plymouth, Idaho, she personally handles all her orders,
and she handles them in person.
"I'm the lady that goes to the fields and says, 'Mr. Shipper, this
will work or this won't work,'" she says. "I'm the lady that
goes into the packing shed and checks the sizing requirements, grading
and general condition. For that, I derive a fee from my shippers."
It costs a little more to take the yearly road trip than to make deals
via phone from Idaho, but if there's something that Tucker has learned
after years in the produce business, it's that faces mean more than dollar
signs.
And after 22 years, those faces look forward to being greeted by Tucker,
and maybe even more by her dogs. This year she's taking two Golden Retrievers
and a Dachshund on her trip. Onion production sites where Tucker conducts
business have become important training grounds for her dogs. She teaches
them obedience and prepares them for participation in search and rescue
operations.
"Everywhere I go, these dogs go," she says. "I don't always
have time to track these dogs in a professional field, so I use the packing
sheds as my training grounds. I tell Mr. Shipper, 'Go get lost.' Then
I send my dogs to go find him.
"When you have a dog specializing in search and rescue, it's 24-7.
You never let up. It's the same way with obedience," she explains.
"If I'm working to for an obedience title for these dogs, they have
to be out in the packing sheds, and they have to be attuned to just me.
Should a heisters run over their tails, they can't budge. Full eye contact
with me is critical to be good obedience dogs."
Tucker knows what it takes. She has trained many champion dogs and taken
them on many search-and-rescue missions. In fact, she's so dedicated to
her work that sometimes it cuts into her personal life. Recently, she
and her boyfriend were having a romantic dinner when the phone rang. It
was the Payette Police Department, asking her to participate in another
search and rescue operation.
"What do you think we did? We put on our boots, jeans and sweaters,
harnessed the dogs and away we went," she recalls. "On the way,
my boyfriend looked at me and said, 'You know, Belinda, I'm just going
to throw up my hands about romancing you under candlelight. We're going
to have to go out to dinner somewhere or you're going to have to turn
off your phone.' It's an interesting life I lead."
Years ago, while working at a wholesale produce company and retail market
in Columbus, Ohio, Tucker climbed the corporate ladder and found herself
enjoying the financial benefits. At the same time, reality hit home.
"When my kids were 4 and 5 years old, my first husband reminded me
that we had a maid, a nanny, and a beautiful home," she recalls.
"He pointed out that we were driving an El Dorado and had everything,
but were not spending time with our kids.
"Do you know the ages of these kids?" he asked Tucker, reminding
her of her priorities. "That experience helped me realize that while
successful financially, I was not giving anything to my children,"
she recalls.
Soon after, the family moved to Boise, Idaho. Tucker went to work for
Smith's Food chain as its first female produce manager and supervisor.
But once again, she found herself climbing the corporate ladder and ignoring
her family life. This led to problems with her marriage.
Eventually, Tucker threw up her hands and decided to go another route
altogether.
"I became the Idaho's first federal-state female inspector,"
she smiles. To supplement her income, she groomed dogs on the side. Later,
a friend asked her to come to work for her and design an onion shed. Two
years and two bad crops later, the company went bankrupt.
Starting Over
"I lost everything. I had worked for all of my life and never collected
food stamps or health and welfare benefits, but now my home and everything
was gone. Complicating that, there were no jobs available. To supply my
kids with food, I killed chickens and shot deer." Eventually, Tucker,
her two children and four dogs moved into a small 600-square foot cottage.
"This was a place where you could take a shower, sit on the pot and
brush your teeth all at the same time," she smiles. "That is
how small this house was. I would sit there feeling depressed and down
my luck. But one day, as I was looking out of the window, new courage
came. I said, 'Lord, if you'll give me the opportunity, and you'll show
me the way, I will give you 10-fold back.' It was as if a light went on,
and the Lord blessed me."
Shortly thereafter, Tucker called Fry Foods in Ohio and proposed that
she work for them as an inspector. Since processors have stringent standards,
prior to loading trucks, she suggested that she perform inspections on
every load. In turn, the shipper would pay her 25 cents a sack. The proposal
was accepted, and she went to work for one of the largest processors in
the U.S. and Mexico. She trained buyers to do their own inspections.
Eventually, Tucker moved back to Idaho and became an onion buyer herself.
In addition, she worked at training dogs, going out on search and rescue
missions, taking care of senior citizens and in other community service.
After years of experiencing life, she's managed to make hers a perfect
fit. She's even influenced others in the industry to own dogs or train
the ones they have. Dave Fry of Fry Foods now owns Tucker's retired search
and rescue dog, Nugget. Dale and Sharon DeBerry of Progresso Produce own
King, a dog from one of Tucker's lines. Chris and Ida Torres, partners
of Alamo-Palmer, own Visions Absolute, being conditioned for the show
ring and in training for a hunting title.
"I'll never be rich. I'll never be wealthy," Tucker admits,
with a smile on her face. "And the reason is because I love life.
I love helping the less fortunate."
Life is meant to be humorous, Tucker believes, advising everyone to take
business seriously, but not so seriously that they "fail to see the
sunlight and the roses."
"Each day, I hope bring a little hope and humor to someone,"
she says. "I want to make somebody laugh."
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Onions in China and Around the World
Onion World
July/August 2004
Dr. Meriel G. Jones
School of Biological Sciences
The University of Liverpool
Producers, breeders and researchers from 22 countries
were in attendance at the Fourth International ISHA Symposium on Edible
Alliaceae, held April 21-26 in Beijing, China. The meeting combined international
scientific research with practical aspects of pest management, agronomy
and marketing trends.
The event, postponed from 2003 because of the outbreak of SARS, was hosted
at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers (IVF), Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences in central Beijing.
China is the largest vegetable producer in the world. Allium crops cover
around 10 percent of the acreage, with extensive areas of bunching (Welsh)
onions, garlic, and Chinese chives as well as onions.
Qu Dongyu, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
explained that vegetable production and exports are a priority in Chinese
agriculture.
The availability of cheap labor in China is a huge advantage in vegetable
production, he stated, and China wants to buy knowledge from the United
States and European Union.
"Chinese Ministry of Agriculture figures show that onions were grown
on 151,900 hectares in 2001, producing 4.14 million tons," said Wang
Debin of the IVF. Yields per hectare were low. The government hopes to
increase yield and quality per unit area as well as mechanization. This
would help them concentrate production in the most suitable land and aid
export markets.
Potential in China
At present, China only exports 1 percent of its total vegetable production,
so there is great potential for growth in both the fresh and processed
sectors. Current export volumes fluctuate, and quality control for the
whole production process needs to be in place to meet international requirements.
Scientific presentations throughout the meeting demonstrated China's commitment
to improving its onion production. The delegates toured IVF and the Beijing
Vegetable Research Center and saw for themselves how modern scientific
methods are being adopted to match that taking place in other areas of
the world.
Chinese gene banks of native cultivars started in the 1950s, and expeditions
continue to remote areas to collect new species with possible future agronomic
value. Researchers described how modern molecular methods as well as traditional
growth trials are used to assess the collections. Development of new varieties
is also important. Male sterility, caused by non-viable pollen, is a valuable
trait for breeders, and Lianwei Cui, with the Liaoning Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, described work over more than a decade to bring male sterility
into potential commercial cultivars of bunching onions.
The Chinese are progressing rapidly in the use biotechnology methods to
assist breeding and generate elite virus-free stock. However, pests and
diseases still cause substantial losses, and Qingjun Wu of IVF described
a very serious pest, the Chinese chive root maggot (Bradysia odoriphaga).
This underground insect attacks all Alliums as well as other vegetable
crops and can cut yield by 30-80 percent.
Because it lives within young stems of perennial crops and in the roots
themselves, it is a year-round problem. It thrives at low temperatures
and is difficult to control with insecticides. Scientists believe that
a better understanding of its biology may lead to improved control measures.
Consumer Tastes Lead the Way
Johan Haarhuis, chairman of the World Allium Association, emphasized that
the global market for onions is led by consumer tastes. Claudio Galmarini
explained the development of a national onion research program in Argentina
- involving the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA),
Mendoza, other research organizations and seed companies - is aimed at
supporting the export market. Onions account for 16 percent of Argentina's
vegetable exports.
The program had already led to the development of new onion cultivars
and products with improved quality, he said. Grower profitability, however,
has been more difficult to achieve.
Speakers from several countries outlined improvements in onions through
conventional breeding or biotechnology. Several groups are trying to cross
onions with Allium relatives. A long-term program led by Martha Mutschler
of Cornell University aims to improve Botrytis leaf blight resistance.
Mutschler has been crossing onions with Allium roylei and has now produced
resistant plants with good seed production. Scientists from New Zealand
and The Netherlands described developments in genetically modified onions.
Progress in incorporating foreign genes into onions is complicated and
is still far from routine.
More information on onion genetics would help breeders, the speakers noted.
Mike Havey, a USDA plant breeder at the University of Wisconsin, has been
mapping onion characteristics that may eventually lead to a complete description,
similar to the Human Genome Project. To date, over 11,000 features have
been identified, some related to important agronomic traits.
The main reason for growing onions is their flavor, and John McCallum
from Crop and Food Research, New Zealand, explained how flavor comes about,
tying flavor to soil conditions. The Vidalia region in the U.S. is famous
for its sweet and mild onions, and Bill Randle, with the University of
Georgia, showed how boosting levels of soil minerals such as calcium and
chloride may benefit producers. Onions have a surprisingly high requirement
for chloride, he pointed out.
Open Market Tour
During the conference, attendees visited the Xinfadi vegetable auction
market in Beijing's Fengtai District. This is the largest of the 4,000
vegetable wholesale markets in China and handles around 8 million kg of
produce daily. Stacked high with fruit and vegetables, hundreds of trucks
wait in the open air for buyers, including processors, catering companies
and supermarkets. Although it may look old-fashioned, the 21st century
is evident in the packaging and the market offices. In one small, 24-hour
testing laboratory, closed-circuit TV monitors the entire site and the
offices are filled with computers.
Morning and evening prices at the wholesale markets are posted on the
Internet (www.xinfadi.com.cn), and suppliers can divert their goods to
get better deals. Sixty percent of vegetables used in Beijing go through
Xinfadi market, so it sets local retail prices.
The next ISHA Symposium on Edible Alliaceae will be held in The Netherlands
in 2007.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Onion Variety Trails in the Treasure Valley
Onion World
July/August 2004
By Clinton C. Shock, Erik B. G. Feibert, and Lamont D.
Saunders
Malheur Experiment Station
Oregon State University
The objective of the 2003 trials was to evaluate yellow, white and red onion varieties for bulb yield, quality and single centers. Six early season yellow varieties were planted in March and were harvested and graded in August. Forty-two full season varieties (33 yellow, eight red and one white) were planted in March, harvested in Sept. 2003 and evaluated in Jan. 2004.
Methods
The onions were grown on a Greenleaf silt loam previously planted to wheat.
Soil analysis indicated the need for 100 pounds P2O5 per acre, 150 pounds
K per acre, 6 pounds Mn per acre, 2 pounds Cu per acre and 1 pound B per
acre, which was broadcast in the fall. In the fall of 2002, the wheat
stubble was shredded and the field was disked, irrigated, ripped, moldboard-plowed,
roller-harrowed, fumigated with Telone C-17 at 20 gallons per acre and
bedded. A soil sample take on May 9 showed a pH of 7.4, 1.2 percent organic
matter, 11 ppm nitrate-N, 30 ppm P and 185 ppm K.
A full season trial and an early maturing trial were conducted adjacent
to each other. The early maturing trial was planted on March 12 and the
full season trial was planted on March 13. Both trials were planted in
plots measuring four double plots wide and 27 feet long. The early maturity
trial had seven varieties from 10 companies. The experimental design for
both trials was a randomized complete block with five replicates. A sixth
non-randomized replicate was planted for purposed of demonstrating onion
variety performance to growers and seed company representatives.
Seed was planted in double rows spaced three inches apart at nine seeds
per foot of single row. Each double row was planted on beds spaced 22
inces apart with a customize planted using John Deere Flexi Planter unites
equipped with disc openers. The onion rows received 3.7 ounces of Lorsban
15G per 1,000 feet of row, and the soil surface was rolled on March 14.
On March 28, the field was sprayed with Roundup at 24 ounces per acre.
Onion emergence started on April 2. On May 13, alleys four feet wide were
cut between plots, leaving plots 23 feet long. From May 15 through 17,
the seedlings were hand thinned to a plant population of two plants per
foot of single row (six-inch spacing between individual onion plants or
95,000 plants/acre). The field was side dressed with 44 pounds of N per
acre as ammonium sulfate, 56 pounds per acre as urea, and 1 pound of B
per acre on May 21. On June 9, the field was side dressed with 100 pounds
N per acre as urea.
The trial was managed to avoid yield reductions from weeds, pests and
diseases. Weeds were controlled with an application of Buctril at 0.12
pounds ai/acre and Poast at 0.4 pounds ai/acre on April 16, an application
of Buctril at 0.12 ai/acre, Goal at 0.12 ai/acre, Poast at 0.28 pounds
ai/acre and Prowl at 0.83 pounds ai/acre on May 22, and an application
of Buctril at 0.12 pounds ai/acre, Goal at 0.12 pounds ai/acre and Poast
at 0.28 pounds ai/acre on May 28. After lay-by, the field was weeded as
necessary. Thrips were controlled with one aerial application of Warrior
on June 5 and two aerial applications of Warrior (0.03 pounds ai/acre)
plus Lannate (0.4 pounds ai/acre) on July 16 and Aug. 4.
When the soil water potential at 8-inch depth reached -20kPa, the field
was furrow irrigated. Soil water potential was monitored by six granular
matrix sensors installed in mid-June below the onion row at 8-inch depth.
Sensors were automatically read three times daily with an AM-400 meter.
The last irrigation was on Aug. 26.
Onions from the middle two rows in each plot in the early maturity trial
were lifted, topped by hand and bagged on Aug. 12. The onion bags were
hauled to a barn on Aug. 15. On Aug. 18, the onions were graded. The onions
in the full season trial were lifted on Sept. 12 to field cure. Onions
from the middle two rows in each plot of the full season trials were topped
by hand and bagged on Sept. 17. The bags were put in storage Oct. 1. The
storage shed was managed to maintain an air temperature of approximately
34 degrees F. Onions from the full season trial were graded on Jan 14,
2004.
During grading, bulbs were separated according to quality: bulbs without
blemished (No. 1s), split bulbs (No. 2s), neck rot (bulbs infected with
the fungus Botrytis allii in the neck or side), plate rot (bulbs infected
with the fungus Fusarium oxysporum), and black mold (bulbs infected with
the fungus Aspergillus niger). The No. 1 bulbs were graded according to
diameter: small, medium, jumbo colossal and super colossal. Bulb counts
per 50 pounds of super colossal onions were determined for each plot of
every variety by weighing and counting all super colossal bulbs during
grading. During grading, the red varieties were evaluated subjectively
for exterior thrips damage during storage.
In early September, bulbs from on of the border rows in each plot of both
trials were rated for single centers. Twenty-five consecutive onions ranging
in diameter from 3.5 to 4.25 inches were rated. The onions were cut equatorially
through the bulb middle and, if multiple centered, the long axis of the
inside diameter of the first single ring was measured. These multiple-centered
onions were ranked according to the diameter of the first single ring:
"small double had diameters less than 1 ½ inches, "intermediate
double" had diameters from 1 ½ to 2 ¼ inches and "blowout"
had diameters more than 2 ¼ inches. Single-centered onions were
classed as a "bullet." Onions were condisered functionally single
for processing if they were a "bullet" of "small double."
Results
Early maturity trial, 6 yellow varieties. The percentage of "bullet"
single centers averaged 6.6 percent and ranged from 1.6 percent for 'XON-0101'
and 'Renegade' to 19.1 percent for 'Kodiak.' 'Kodiak' was the highest
in percentage of "bullet" single centers. The percentage of
onions that were functionally single centered averaged 24.8 percent and
ranged from 12.8 percent for 'Renegade' to 39.2 percent for 'Kodiak.'
'Kodiak,' 'DPSX 1170' and 'Madero' were among those with the highest percentage
of functionally single-centered bulbs.
Total yield averaged 716 cwt/acre and ranged from 536 cwt/acre for 'DPSX
1170' to 974 cwt/acre for 'Renegade.' 'Renegade' and 'XON-0101' had the
highest total yield. Super colossal-size onion yield averaged 25.1 cwt/acre
and ranged from 0 cwt/acre for 'DPSX 1170' to 75.3 cwt/acre for 'Renegade."
'Renegade and 'XON-0101' had the highest yield of supercolossal bulbs.
Not considering super colossal, colossal-size onion yiled averaged 173.
5 cxt/acre and ranged from 9.8 cwt/acre for 'DPSX 1170' to 463.7 cwt/acre
for 'Renegade.' 'Renegade' and 'XON-0101' had the highest colossal bulb
yields.
Full season trial, 33 yellow varieties. The percentage of "bullet"
single centers averaged 22.3 percent and ranged from 2 percent for 'Delgado'
to 72.7 percent for '6011.' Varieties '6011 and 'SR 7004 ON' were among
the highest in percentage of onions with "bullet" single centers.
Varieties '6011,' 'SR7004 ON,' 'Bandolero' and 'SR 7003 ON' were among
the highest in percentage of onions that were fully functionally single
centered.
Marketable yield out of storage in January 2004 averaged 951.2 cwt/acre
and ranged from 644.4 cwt/acre for 'Milestone' to 1198.9 cwt/acre for
'Ranchero.' 'Ranchero,' 'Santa Fe,' 'Granero,' '6001,' 'SR7004 ON,' 'Torero'
and '6011' were among the varieties with the highest marketable yield.
Super colossal-size onion yield averaged 228.3 cwt/acre and ranged from
0 cwt/acre for 'Milestone,' to 501 cwt/acre for 'Mesquite.' 'Mesquite'
and 'Ranchero' were among the varieties with the highest super colossal
yield. The number of bulbs per 50 pounds of super colossal onions averaged
32 and ranged from 26.3 for 'Tequila' to 37.5 for 'Sabroso.' Only 'Sabroso'
had super colossal counts above the acceptable range for marketing as
super colossal. 'Tequila,' 'T-433' and 'Ranchero' had super colossal counts
below the acceptable range for marketing as super colossal. Not considering
super colossal, colossal-size onion yield averaged 402.1 cwt/acre and
ranged from 56 cwt/acre for 'Milestone' to 607.6 cwt/acre for 'Granero.'
'Granero,' 'SR7004 ON,' and 'Vaquero' were among the highest in colossal
bulb yields.
Decomposition in storage averaged 4.4 percent and ranged from 1.3 percent
for 'Granero' to 17.6 percent for 'T-433.' No. 2 bulbs averaged 43.8 cwt/acre
and ranged from ¼ cwt/acre for 'Milestone' to 135.5 cwt/acre for
'XPH95345.' Bolting was not observed in any plot in 2003.
Full season trial, 8 red varieties. The percentage of "bullet"
single centers averaged 11 percent and ranged from 2.7 percent for 'Mercury'
for 20 percent 'Redwing.' The percentage of functionally single centered
onions averaged 40.8 percent and ranged from 24 percent for 'Red Zepelin'
to 60.7 percent for 'Rewing.'
Marketable yield out of storage in January 2004 averaged 537.7 cwt/acre
and ranged from 376.4 cwt/acre for 'Red October' to 730.7 cwt/acre for
'Redwing.' Super colossal-size onions yield averaged 4.2 cwt/acre and
ranged from 0 cwt/acre for 'Red Zepelin' to 17.3 cwt/acre for 'Red Fortress.'
The number of bulbs per 50 pounds of super colossal onions averaged 30.5
and ranged from 32.5 for 'Mercury' to 54.2 for 'Exp Red 440.' Not considering
super colossal, colossal-size onions yield averaged 86.9 cwt/acre and
ranged from 49.1 cwt/acre for 'Red Zepelin' to 135.9 cwt/acre for 'Redwing.'
Decomposition in storage averaged 4.4 percent and ranged for 1 percent
for 'Red Fortress' to 14.4 percent for 'Red October.'
Subjective evaluation of thrips damage to red onions to storage ranged
from 1.6 for 'Red Fortress' to 6.7 for 'Red October.' 'Red Fortress,'
'EXP Red 440,' and 'Redwing' were among the lowest in thrips damage.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Mr. Buck Makes its Debut
in Georgia
Onion World
July/August 2004
Mr. Buck, a new 'Vidalia type' onion, was commercially introduced to Georgia's
Vidalia onion growers this year. After passing through three years of
screening trials conducted by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
& Environmental Sciences at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research
Center near Reidsville, Ga., Mr. Buck was accepted by the Georgia Department
of Agriculture as an 'approved variety' for the production of Vidalia
onions. Mr. Buck was released to the commercial Vidalia onion grower in
limited acreages for 2004 harvest.
Named for Reidsville's Buck Shuman, lifetime resident of Tattnall County,
businessman, community leader and onion grower for many years. Shuman
currently is the Georgia onion specialist and marketing manager for D.
Palmer Seed Company, Inc., exclusive distributor of Mr. Buck.
Mr. Buck features later maturity coupled with long storage ability allowing
growers to keep the variety in the field for longer periods before it
must be harvested. Firm flesh and good skin cover make this variety an
ideal candidate for the late onion that gets put into controlled air storage
for a later marketing period.
Mr. Buck makes an exceptionally clean pack. With its shape being 0.74:1
ratio, it exhibits the traditional flattish shape of the Vidalia onion.
The flesh is mild and sweet and gives the consumer the traditional sweet
onion taste that Vidalia onions are noted for. Yet due to its dense flesh,
it takes fewer onions to fill a 40 pound box. Yields were reported as
high as 1,000 field bags per acre in 2004. Many productions in 2004 were
running 95 to 98 percent jumbo and colossal sizes.
After years in the development stage and in the evaluation stage, Mr.
Buck now emerges as a primary candidate for production acreage in the
Vidalia region, well on its way to satisfying the gourmet onion consumers
across the USA. Don't be left out, make sure you have Mr. Buck in your
field and on your plate next year.
For more information, contact Buck Shuman at (912) 557-4141 or bmshuman@alltel.net.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
DUDA and Frost Farms
Enter Exclusive Marketing Agreement
Onion World
July/August 2004
McAllen, TEXAS - Sweet onions from Walla Walla, Wash., are being added
to the growing variety of sweet onions supplied by DUDA through an exclusive
marketing agreement with Frost Farms of Touchet, Wash.
"Walla Wallas are very popular with consumers and so we are excited
to be able to add this variety to our year-round sweet onion program,"
said Chris Eddy, assistant sales manager, DUDA Texas.
DUDA produces Texas 1015s and supplies a variety of domestic and imported
sweet onions including Mayan Sweets® from Peru and Vidalia sweet onions
from Georgia.
Beginning this season, Frost Farms onions will be "certified sweet"
by Vidalia Labs, Inc. VLI applies its comprehensive field and flavor analysis
to ensure sweet onion varieties meet the standard threshold for sweetness.
Onions that meet the "certified sweet" criteria are shipped
with a certificate of authenticity documenting the tests.
DUDA will market the Walla Walla sweet onions, available from June through
August, under the Frost Farms and DANDY labels.
Frost Farms is a diversified farming operation specializing in Walla Walla
sweet onions as well as hybrid sweet onions. The grower, packer, shipper
is owned and operated by Kirk Baumann and his son and daughter.
"Kirk Baumann and Frost Farms grow and pack a quality product,"
said Darrell Duda, division vice president of DUDA's Texas operations.
"We look forward to a great season working with them."
Baumann said he is looking forward to the association with DUDA.
DUDA is a leading grower, shipper and marketer of fresh, fresh-cut and
processed fruits and vegetables. Headquartered in Florida, the family-owned
corporation has significant operations in California, Arizona, Texas and
Georgia, with additional growing and shipping locations across the U.S.
and in Mexico.
Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing
Committee.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
Walla
Walla Sweet Onion Harvest Begins
Onion World
July/August 2004
Walla, Walla, WASH.—How sweet it is. Washington's tastiest bulb is
lighting up smiles across markets everywhere with the return of the Walla
Walla Sweet Onion harvest. The season kicks off in mid June and continues
through mid-September. After 104 years in the Walla Walla Valley, the
summer crop has become a beloved tradition anticipated by consumers nationwide.
A jumbo 20th annual celebration is also coming July 17 to pay tribute
to this awesome orb.
Although this stretch of Southeastern Washington is increasingly revered
as a wine-making hotbed, Walla Walla Sweet Onions, not grapes, were the
original crops that took root in the late 1800s. Italian immigrant Peter
Pieri brought the first Italian sweet onion seed to the Walla Walla Valley.
The area's mild climate and rich volcanic soil had the Sweets' thriving
and tasting sweeter than ever. It wasn't long before more Italian farmers
emigrated and the Walla Walla Sweet Onion legacy flourished.
Walla Walla Sweets are presently cultivated by a small circle of roughly
40 farmers whose growing area spans 1,200 acres. Average yield is a bountiful
650 50-pound units per acre. So prestigious is the classification that
it's backed by a marketing order to ensure its production area and a trademark
logo for distinct identification. To qualify as an official Walla Walla
Sweet Onion, the product must be grown exclusively in the Walla Walla
Valley around Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon.
What gives the Sweets such a mellow flavor? The same thing that keeps
the tears away: low sulphur content, just half that of an ordinary onion.
The crunchy, juicy, sweet onions are best eaten raw or only slightly cooked,
making them perfect additions to barbecued hamburgers, sandwiches and
fresh salads. They also sweeten any dish and taste great topping a pizza,
checkered in quiche, swimming in black bean salsa and or tossed into pasta.
Walla Walla Sweet Onions deserve special handling because of their high
water content and sweetness. But kept cool and ventilated, they can last
six to eight weeks (far from apples, celery, pears, and other onion types,
aromas which they'll take on). When shopping for Walla Walla Sweet Onions,
look for an elongated neck and large, rounded shape and paper thin skin
that's pale gold and dry to the touch. Don't forget to look for the logo.
Sweet Onion Festival
Have some funion! A celebration as jumbo as the sweet onion itself kicks
off Friday night, July 16, at 5:30 p.m. on the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds
with "A Sweet Occasion," a Wine and Strawberry Gala with scrumptious
food from Chef Joan Deccio-Wickham and live entertainment from rhythm
artists CoDa. The main event rolls out Saturday, July 17 from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m., buzzing with live music, fabulous food, games and contests
for kids, and competitions for onion growers and creative "onion
artisans." Try onion lawn bowling (yes, Walla Walla Sweets are that
big), engage in chef demos from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring Joan Deccio-Wickham,
and peruse dozens of vendors and food booths.
Learn more about Walla Walla Sweet Onions by contacting Kathy Fry, Director
of Marketing for the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee at (509)
525-1031 or log onto www.sweetonions.org. More on Washington specialty
agriculture is available at From the Heart of Washington, a marketing
campaign designed to increase consumer demand for Washington's food and
agricultural products and to demonstrate its economic value. Visit www.HeartofWashington.com
or call Tamara Wilson, (206) 838-8977 or Shannon Hitchcock, Heart of Washington
Executive Director (866) 376-6469.
Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing
Committee.
© 2004 Columbia Publishing
© 2005 Columbia Publishing & Design
| 1-800-900-2452
www.onionworld.net