Colorado:
In northern Colorado, Ryan Fagerberg at Fagerberg Farms reported on Sept. 15, which was a very busy day, “We are transitioning from our transplant varieties to our storage seeded onions. Quality has been very good thus far. We have been fortunate for have dry, warm harvesting conditions over the past four to six weeks.”
Ryan continued, “Size is slightly smaller than average on all crops, likely due to the slow start in planting and growing in the spring. May was a very wet and cool month. Yields are higher than average and certainly higher than the last few years when adverse weather affected our crops. We will fill all of our storage bins this year and our pleased with fair market prices so far.”
IEO:
Marc Bybee, president of Fiesta Farms in Nyssa, OR, said that the Fiesta Farms/Eagle Eye 2015 crop is “maturing well, and we have begun to put onions away for long-term storage. Quality looks very good, but there are some heat related issues showing in some lots to minor degrees. Our yields look average but are much better than the past two seasons in which we were down. Sizing looks very good in most lots with plenty of good sized jumbos and larger onions.”
Marc said, “Lots of concern for the weather as everything seems to be tracking two to three weeks ahead of normal, including dropping temperatures and rain showers. Rained here Monday, Sept. 14, through Tuesday morning and there’s more in forecast. We have had a record level of shipments in August here and the Treasure Valley is also tracking well ahead of any season I can recall.”
As for the onion industry, he says, “All bodes well if we can market the crop like professionals. One or two weak links in the Northwest hurts us all. Hold the line.”