We are now starting to pull in the great onion harvest. Onions are the first seeds planted on the farm in February into trays in the greenhouse. This year we planted 100 trays! Then 4 weeks later we gently transplanted them all by hand into crates with 4 inches deep of fresh soil mix so that the roots could grow longer and stronger. Four weeks after that in April, we transplanted each little individual onion plant into the field, which is a daunting task because it literally feels like planting blades of grass. For the next 4 months we have irrigated taking special care in the beginning to make sure the tiny plants never dry out and then we have weeded the heck out of them over and over again. We watch for the tall green stems to fall over, which tells us that they have stopped growing and are ready for harvest. Their story actually began a lot earlier than February, because we grew the seeds for many of these onion varieties right here at Aspen Moon Farm. The onion plant in its second year of life will grow "umbles" which bear tiny seeds that we collect and clean by hand. The coolest part is that the germination rate on these Aspen Moon grown seeds is so phenomenally better than that of any that we purchase. This shows us so clearly how the cycle of life kept local produces such strong vitality. We know this also from the taste and nourishment we receive from all the good food grown here at your local Farm. :)
The above photo shows the first big harvest of Walla Walla onions, our sweetest variety. Try biting right into this sweet onion like an apple. I daresay these babies out-flavor any Vidalia onion one may desire (btw Vidalia is a region in Georgia, not a variety so you won't ever find a local Vidalia here in Colorado). We will also be pulling in yellow storage, semi-sweet Valencia, Rosa reds, Torpedo Reds, and some Cippolinis. Bulk bags of storage onions will be available for purchase in the Fall; this is a great way to extend your local food season.
