Owyhee sees earliest onion year ever
Owyhee sees earliest onion year ever
By Sept. 1 Owyhee Produce in Nyssa, OR, had shipped 350 loads of onions, and Sales Agent Robin Froerer said the early July start was the earliest in the company’s history.
Ms. Froerer said the early onions were smaller than average, but she noted that size mix remains good.
As for the ratio of yellows to reds and whites, the grower-shipper maintains its heavy-to-yellow percentage.
“No big changes,” she said.
Owyhee Produce General Manager and his mother, Sales Agent Robin Froerer.At the packing and storage facilities Owyhee has seen major changes, however. The technology is continually upgraded, and the operation has more than 85,000 square feet of storage and packing space, with ambient-cooled storage capacity for 31 million pounds of onions.
In its move to green, Owyhee Produce has utilized the cool Treasure Valley nights in tandem with its technology to eliminate need for refrigeration and save on electrical power.
Bags are filled using a 12-scale weigher and are sewn shut rather than tied. Pallets are robotically stacked for consistency.
Ms. Froerer said securing trucks during the early season was no problem, but she added, “We do have Christmas trees coming.” She said rail loads were expected to start shipping in mid-to late September.
Rail represents only about 5 percent of the company’s total shipments, she said.
Anticipating a busy season, Ms. Froerer said, “We are looking forward to the upcoming season and working with the customers we have met over the years. Dealing with them it is like working with family all around the country — so much so that on the new river farm we purchased earlier this year we have a great little farm house that is right next to the Snake River. We have made it their home away from home, and we open it to our friends and family to stay in when they come to visit.”
