Onions 52 plans to launch a game-changing product at the upcoming IFPA show in booth No. 467: Smileys, a naturally tearless and sweet onion poised to redefine the culinary landscape.

Each new season in the Treasure Valley  brings its own rush of excitement as the onion industry readies for harvest to begin. That excitement is very often spiked with a jolt of adrenaline as crews work to get the onions in the barn and Mother Nature throws in a shenanigan or two.

And then, with storage onions in, the pace picks up even more. Loads increase, and coordination is tight among sales teams, shed crews and  transportation coordinators.

Heavy rains from Hurricane Hilary swept through the western United States earlier this week, with more than three inches in some parts of  Idaho-eastern Oregon’s onion production area.

While harvest delay is being reported by growers in the region and a gap in production is expected, severe damage to the crop appeared to be limited, according to an Aug. 23 statement by Marc Bybee, chairman of the Idaho-E. Oregon Onion Promotion Board.

Ahhh, the sweet onion. Consumers’ love affair with the mild, sweet onion has turned it into a kitchen staple. The sweet onion is popping up on consumers‘ grocery lists all year, thanks to its naturally sweet flavor and its many health benefits — from reducing the risk of cancer to improving heart health. And luckily for us, industry leaders like Bland Farms ensure we have sweet onions available all year.

G&R Farms imports onions from Peru during the fall and winter months to provide a seamless source of sweet onions year-round after the Vidalia onion season ends.

Shuman Farms began its farming operations in Peru more than a quarter of a century ago, developing a vertically integrated program that allows the grower/shipper to supply  the same consumer-recognized and preferred sweet onion from September to March. The organization is heavily invested in the region with a full-time staff and infrastructure to support the program. This allows Shuman Farms to be a reliable and consistent year-round supplier, taking the guess work out of the sweet onion category.