Sweet Clover on track for Walla Walla Sweets and NW onion season
Sweet Clover on track for Walla Walla Sweets and NW onion season
Kicking off with Walla Walla Sweet Salad Onions in May, Sweet Clover Produce in Walla Walla, WA, is moving full-swing into the 2014 Northwest onion season with mature Walla Walla Sweets in mid-June, followed by reds, whites, yellows and additional sweets in July.
In early May Sweet Clover Sales Manager Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield said growing conditions had been excellent, with necessary heat units for good onion growth. The trademarked Walla Wallas started shipping initially as salad onions the week of May 5, and the mature onions will ship beginning mid-June and are expected to be in steady supplies through the end of August, Brownfield said.
Fernando Enriquez Jr. with Walla Walla Sweet Salad Onions, which Sweet Clover Produce will ship through May. (Photo courtesy of Sweet Clover Produce)In addition to its well-known “Sweet Clover” label, the vertically integrated grower-shipper-marketer will also ship Walla Walla Sweets under the “Gloria” label. Brownfield said primary growers continue to be the father and son team of Fernando Enriquez Sr. and Fernando Enriquez Jr.
As stipulated in Federal Marketing Order 956, all onions identified as Walla Walla Sweets must be grown inside a designated growing area.
The popular sweet was declared Washington’s state vegetable several years ago by former Gov. Christine Gregoire, and an annual festival has become a summer tradition for thousands of onion fans.
Dovetailing with the Walla Walla Sweets season in mid-July will be shipments of Sweet Clover’s Northwest organic reds, yellows and sweet yellows, along with its reds and whites. Brownfield said supplies of storage onions “are expected to be excellent through April 2015.”
With an established, year-round sweet onion program, Sweet Clover has become well-known for the single-center Red Wing reds grown by Grigg & Sons in Quincy, WA. The Quincy shipping facility is one of two utilized by Sweet Clover Produce, which represents a group of Northwest onion growers and also sources from other regions.
Since its formation, Sweet Clover has increase production and pack options for its retail and foodservice clientele. Popular options include the Carry-Fresh consumer bags and cartons. Labels shipped by Sweet Clover Produce are “Columbia Pride,” “Quincy Queen,” “Basin Best,” “Big Bend Country” and “White Tigers,” in addition to “Sweet Clover” and “Gloria.”
