Hold onto your taste buds—the countdown to Vidalia Sweet Onion season is on! Soon, these iconic onions will be making their way from Georgia farms to your table.

The journey began in the early 1930s when Moses "Mose" Coleman discovered the uniquely sweet onions, now famously known as Vidalia Sweet Onions, growing in Toombs County. Vidalia Sweet Onions are grown during the short days of winter and harvested in spring. Each onion pulls nutrients from its top and bottom, forming its signature sweet rings. In ideal conditions, they can grow 1/8" in diameter every 24 hours.

In 1982, decades after Coleman struck onion gold, the Bland family expanded their Glennville, Georgia farm to include a few acres of these flavorful gems. Delbert Bland recalls their humble beginnings:

Me and my father planted five acres of onions one year, not knowing much about it. We produced a truckload and didn't know where to sell them. Eventually, we sold them through a relative who worked for Winn-Dixie. That’s how we began.

Today, Bland Farms is the largest grower, packer, and shipper of Vidalia Sweet Onions.

Green from the Ground Up

Recognizing just how special these onions are, Bland Farms practices sustainable and regenerative agriculture to ensure the land remains fertile for future generations. They blend traditional farming with cutting-edge technology, including the largest controlled-atmosphere storage rooms in the industry, extending Vidalia Sweet Onion availability from two months to four months.

Vidalia Sweet Onions are meticulously processed using Ellipse Technology for precise weighing and sorting. Highlighting their commitment to quality and sustainability, Troy Bland, CEO of Bland Farms explains, "We use ozone to kill any pathogens that could cause the onions to go bad.”

Regenerative Agriculture:

Farming with the Future in Mind

At Bland Farms, sustainability is just the starting point. Regenerative agriculture actively restores, revitalizes, and strengthens the environment for future generations.

Instead of relying on traditional farming methods that deplete soil nutrients, Bland Farms takes a hands-on approach to actively improving the land through:

• Restoring Soil Health – Conservation tilling retains organic matter, improving moisture retention and preventing erosion.
• Revitalizing Depleted Land – Crop rotations, cover cropping, and soil enrichment rehabilitate overused fields.
• Tailoring Farming to Local Ecosystems – Custom methods match Georgia’s Vidalia-growing region, ensuring long-term land viability.
• Organic Farming – A commitment to chemical-free growing, biodiversity, and soil health.

Regenerative farming isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about farming smarter, ensuring each season’s harvest is better than the last.

From Field to Fork

Bland Farms’ dedication to sustainability doesn’t stop at the farm. Each onion is carefully dried, stored at optimal temperatures, and packed for grocery shelves. Every box used for shipping is 100% recyclable and the company is focused on reducing plastic usage and minimizing its overall environmental footprint through a company-wide recycling system.

Recognized with the 2021 Pratt Environmental Impact Award, Bland Farms has spent over a decade refining its packaging approach, resulting in the conservation of hundreds of thousands of trees and millions of gallons of water.

Even the onions that don’t make it to grocery shelves are put to use—whether diced, peeled, or incorporated into Vidalia Brands products. Any remaining onions are returned to the soil as natural fertilizer, proving that at Bland Farms, nothing goes to waste—every harvest serves a purpose.

Bland Farms’ hard work and dedication to the agriculture industry recently garnered the attention of the popular PBS series,  A Fork in the Road. The company was featured in the Tomato Tomahto, Potato Potahto, and Onions episode which aired on February, 3.

From a humble five-acre farm to a leader in produce, the Bland family’s journey is a testament to staying true to its roots—growing with passion, cultivating quality, and always putting customers first. Through decades of dedication, they have not only grown the finest Vidalia Sweet Onions but also built a legacy—one that honors the past while driving the future of agriculture forward.

"Vidalia is the girl that brought us to the dance, so we're going to keep dancing with her," says Troy Bland.

Learn more about Bland Farms and the upcoming Vidalia Sweet Onion season by visiting Booth #714 at SEPC Southern Exposure in Orlando, Florida, March 6-8.