Notice Onion

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • GARY W. BLACK, COMMISSIONER • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016 • VOL. 99, NO. 8 • © COPYRIGHT 2016 VIDALIA® ONION SEASON IS HERE: Growers in South Georgia prepare to ship their crop It’s the first day of April, a stormy Fri- shipping it to grocery stores and farmers day in Georgia, and Aries Haygood is wor- markets nationwide. ried. If the weatherman is calling it right, Despite the challenges that weather has Haygood could see four inches of rain and presented throughout the growing season, hail batter the hundreds of acres of sweet Haygood is confident that this year’s Vi- Vidalia® onions that are still ripening in dalia® crop will be worth the wait. The fall the fields on his Lyons farm. That’ll be was warmer than usual, which raised the one cruel trick from Mother Nature if it disease threat, but a cold winter helped the happens; the official start of the selling onion fields rebound, he said. season for Georgia’s State Vegetable is “The crop that’s left really looks good just 24 days away. and really looks healthy,” he said. “We all face challenges off what The low sulfur content of South Geor- Mother Nature sends us,” Haygood said. gia’s sandy soil is what makes the Vidalia® “No farmer is happy with anything until variety of onions sweet. The onion is so they’ve got it in their shed or under the unique and valuable that it is protected by barn and, in most cases, until it’s packed a federally registered certification mark. and shipped.” This mark is held by the Georgia Depart- In accordance with state rules, Georgia ment of Agriculture at the request of the Secretary of Agriculture Visits Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black growers. State law governs use of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stopped by the Atlanta Farmers Market in For- has confirmed April 25 as the official pack trademark and rules set the pack date on the est Park March 29 for a tour and a meeting with Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. date for Georgia’s 2016 crop of sweet Vi- Monday of the last full week of April, un- Black. While there, Vilsack toured the J.J. Jardina Co., a wholesale distributor of produce with dalia® onions. That’s the day Haygood and less otherwise specified by the Agriculture ® headquarters on the Market. Pictured in the Jardina warehouse are, from left: Secretary Vilsack, 85 other registered Vidalia onion growers Commissioner Matt Jardina, Larry Jardina and Commissioner Black. in Georgia will box up their crop and start in consultation with growers. All rules for the Vi- Public/private partnership saves historic INSIDE THIS ISSUE dalia® onion are Farm Services ............................2 subject to public structure at Thomasville Farmers Market Vidalia® Onion Soup ..................7 comments, hear- ings and input of Collaboration among public institutions treatment/mitigation plan and is monitoring Spring Planting Chart ...............11 the growers. and the private sector is eradicating termites the market for further signs of termites as part Pizza Farm ............................. 12 Sweet onions at the State Farmers Market in Thomasville of his Household and Structural Entomology sold before the and providing researchers with new insight Research Program at UGA. pack date are not genuine Vidalia® onions. into effective methods for fighting Incisit- “While Dr. Forschler often presents at “The only true sweet onion is a Vidalia® ermes snyderi, the Southeastern drywood ter- national and international audiences, we are Notice onion. The gold standard of sweet onions mite, in historic structures. fortunate to have him locally and working di- Ads for the May 11 issue are for years has been the Vidalia® onion,” An infestation of the insect was discovered rectly with our staff when urban entomology due noon, April 27. said Jack Spruill, director of marketing for at the market last summer during preparations expertise is needed,” said Derrick Lastinger, Spring Pick-Your-Own the Georgia Department of Agriculture. for a renovation project. Routine inspections director of the Structural Pest Program at the listings are due May 2. “Make sure you as a consumer are buying revealed termite damage to the wooden struc- Department of Agriculture in Atlanta. “This the real Vidalia® onion. You will not, you tural members of the oldest building on the recent effort to protect the historic building at should not, you’d better not see a Vidalia® market, a 43,162 sq. ft. warehouse built in the market is another example of how GDA onion on the shelf anywhere in the United 1951. and UGA work together to better understand States before the pack date.” “We had a structural engineer to inspect the urban pests while using local resources to Vidalia® onion growers are so com- building and he said it was still in good shape. protect our homes and buildings.” mitted to their crop that they requested He gave us instructions on what needed to be The first step in eliminating the termite and approved a Federal Marketing Order repaired,” said Tom Lawson, manager of the threat to the building was to replace damaged with the USDA in 1989. Under that order, Thomasville market for the Georgia Depart- and infested timbers. The borate treatment the USDA collects mandatory fees from ment of Agriculture. applied to all exposed timbers in the build- growers that fund research and marketing Once the repairs were complete, the de- ing will prevent termites from chewing into of the crop. The Marketing Order defines partment began exploring ways to safely treat the wood. BoraCare is recognized by national the region where Vidalia® onions can be the building to eliminate the termite threat. green building organizations such as LEED grown. Vidalia® onions are typically avail- “We felt it was necessary to ensure the and EarthCraft as an ecologically friendly able through July. safety of our tenants and their workers,” approach to preventing new infestations, The extra layers of self-imposed gov- Lawson said. “We were also concerned for Forschler said. ernance and oversight have made the Vi- the public’s safety. We did not want termites “The final phase of the management plan dalia® onion a success for Georgia farmers or the waste they cause to end up in our pro- would be an annual examination of the prop- and consumers. duce.” erty, after the borate treatment, to pick out “Our growing area is large enough The department teamed with the Univer- accumulations of pellets which identify on- to handle the volume that’s needed for sity of Georgia’s Entomology Program to going, local infestations that could be treated consumers to enjoy it all summer long,” mitigate the damage, beginning with treat- using wood injection,” he said. grower Haygood said. “We’re confident ment of the infested areas. Pesticide maker The Southeastern drywood termite is dif- that we’re going to put out a good-tasting Nisus Corp. donated 120 gallons of BoraCare ferent from the subterranean termite in that it sweet onion. The (pack) date gives us an to treat all of the exposed lumber in the build- infests and consumes sound wood. It thrives opportunity to allow that onion to grow ing. Dixon Exterminating in Thomasville ad- in dry conditions and does not require contact basically like it should so that it can have ministered the treatment. with the soil to survive. Drywood termites the great flavor and the quality that the Brian T. Forschler, PhD., a professor of typically target the wood in structural timbers, Mail to: Agriculture Published by the Ga. Department of Black, Commissioner W. Gary consumers are looking for.” entomology at UGA in Athens, oversaw the framing, furniture and hardwood flooring. PAGE 2 FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN – 404-656-3722 – agr.georgia.gov WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016 Market Bulletin Advertising Guidelines Market Bulletin Subscriber Guidelines Please note there are two different mailing addresses for Only subscribers with a current subscrip- specified deadline date in order to appear in Online-only subscriptions are $5 per year. Print subscriptions, which include online ac- the Market Bulletin: a PO Box tion number are allowed to advertise in the the next applicable edition of the Market Bul- cess, are $10 per year. Market Bulletin. Advertisers are limited to one letin. Ads that are not received by deadline To subscribe by mail: Send a check or money order payable to the Georgia Department for subscriptions and a street ad per issue per subscriber number. Out-of- will appear in the following applicable edition. of Agriculture along with your name, complete mailing address, email address and phone address for ads and all other state subscribers are only allowed to publish number to: ads in the Out-of-State Wanted category. Ads can be scheduled to run in two consec- Georgia Department of Agriculture communications. All advertisements published in the Market utive issues, if the category allows. A new ad Attn: Market Bulletin Bulletin must relate to farming, agriculture or must be submitted if the advertiser wants the PO Box 742510 1960 Ford Dexta tractor: New clutch, be a part of these industries. All items submit- ad to run more than two consecutive issues. Atlanta, GA 30374 strong tractor, harrows, bush hog; $3000. ted for sale through the Market Bulletin must To subscribe or renew online, visit agr.georgia.gov to pay by electronic check, Visa or Yvonne Clark Lyons 912-293-9199 meet at least one of the following criteria: Regular-run category ads are limited to MasterCard. 1964 JD 110 lawn tractor, misc. parts, 1. Must be produced by advertisers on 20 words, including name and either phone To subscribe by phone, call 404.586.1190 or 800.282.5852 to pay by electronic check, 4-speed, round fenders, hood, more, their farming operation number and city or full physical address.

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