Idaho, Oregon onion harvest gets early start

Idaho and eastern Oregon grower-shippers got off to an early start this year.

Nyssa, Ore.-based Snake River Produce began digging the week of Aug. 1, the second earliest start since at least 1999, said Tiffany Cruickshank, transportation manager and saleswoman.

Plants grew at their usual pace, Cruickshank said. They just got started a lot earlier than usual.

"We had some really pleasant weather in late February and early March, and growers were able to plant early."

Since that early start, the growing weather on the whole has been "very cooperative," she said.

Murakami Produce, Ontario, Ore., began digging on Aug. 8, right on time, said Chris Woo, national sales manager for Idaho and Oregon.

Murakami's acreage is up slightly this year, and as of Aug. 11 yields were good, Woo said.

A few onion growers in the Treasure Valley had begun digging by the week of Aug. 8, said Paul Skeen, owner of Nyssa-based Skeen Farms Inc., but Skeen Farms wasn't scheduled to start until about Aug. 17.

The timing of this year's crop is different from last year, Skeen said - but 2015 was an exception to the rule.

"We're later than last year, but last year was earlier than ever. I'd say this year is average."

Acreage will likely be up slightly in the valley as a whole this season, Skeen said, but Skeen Farms' acreage is slightly below 2015.

Yields should be about average, Skeen said.

John Vlahandreas, onion sales manager for Wada Farms Marketing Group LLC, Idaho Falls, Idaho, said Wada Farms began digging in the Treasure Valley in a light way the week of Aug. 1.

"It's a good start day for us. We probably could've waited a few days, but we wanted to get going and move some before moving them into storage."

The first onions of the season, Vlahandreas said, will ship straight to the fresh market.

Acreage is up this season in the valley, he said, but yields could wind up being down from last year.

Nyssa-based Owyhee Produce started digging July 25, the company's earliest start in a decade, said Shay Myers, owner.

That meant an overlap with the end of the company's California deal, but Myers wasn't worried about it.

"It's not a big deal. We market year-round. We like to have a little overlap. I think the timing was just about right."

Yields were average at the beginning of the Treasure Valley deal for Owyhee, but by the week of Aug. 8 he characterized them as "good to excellent."

The only wrinkle in the season as of Aug. 10 was hot harvesting weather, Myers said, which led some crews to harvest at night or in the early morning.