Delbert Bland learned exciting news about Bland Farms’ Vidalia Sweet Onions upon his recent return from Peru. This year, Vidalia Sweet Onions will be shipped until early October, several weeks longer than usual.
“We have a rather unique opportunity this year because we had a bumper crop,” said Bland, owner of Bland Farms of Glennville, GA. “We put a lot more onions in the storage. Typically, we supply Vidalia Sweet Onions until about the end of August, but this year, we will have a supply until the first part of October.”
This is excellent news for Vidalia Sweet Onion lovers who enjoy the mild, sweet flavor that can only be found in these Georgia-grown gems. Bland attributes this year’s exceptional crop to great weather conditions during the growing season. “The winter didn’t get cold enough to hurt the crop, and we had a great spring,” said Bland.
Typically, Bland Farms, among the largest growers, packers and shipper of Vidalia Sweet Onions, transitions from its Vidalia Sweet Onions to Premium Sweet Onions from Peru in early to mid-August, but with this year’s bumper crop, the company will be exporting the first part of its Peru crop internationally.
“We have to plant in Peru in May before knowing how long the Vidalias will run,” said Bland. “Now we have onions starting to come off in Peru that we don’t need because we have so many Vidalias in storage. So, we’ll export the first part of the crop to Europe and Chile. The onions we have coming off the rest of this month, and next month, we will ship to other locations outside of the U.S. We definitely want to sell Vidalias and keep those on the shelf as long as possible. So, it’s a good problem to have.”
Putting roots down in Peru was the brainchild of Bland, who took the once seasonal operation and expanded in Peru and Mexico nearly 28 years ago in order to supply sweet onions year-round.
“We started with just a handful — one or two containers,” he said. “Now, we have about 1,400 containers in Peru. We used to work with small growers we contracted with, but we shifted away from that over the years and started doing things ourselves.”
Bland’s son, Troy Bland, CEO of Bland Farms, wouldn’t have it any other way. For him it’s this hands-on involvement that sets the family-owned and operated farm apart. “It’s our boots on the ground in Peru and Mexico. This allows us to maintain the highest standards and ensure a consistent supply of Premium Sweet Onions,” Troy Bland said.
Peru’s unique dry and mild climate provides optimal growing conditions for sweet onions. Controlled drip irrigation minimizes water-related risks, unlike the unpredictable rainfall in Georgia which was a big factor for Bland when securing growing areas outside of the U.S.
As October rolls around, Bland Farms will seamlessly transition from Vidalia Sweet Onions to its Premium Sweet Onion from Peru.
“We’ll start importing our Premium Sweet Onions from Peru by the end of September,” said Bland. “It’s a smooth transition for the consumer because the taste and flavors of our Premium Sweet Onions from Peru are almost identical to our Vidalia Sweet Onions. They’re very comparable. We’re excited to continue our year-round production, and we’ve been very blessed to have produced great-quality onions in both places.”