Onions have feelings too.

Onion seeds are some of the tiniest and heartiest seeds in our fields. We plant them by hand, individually into trays to start them in the greenhouses early in the spring. Because they’re so small, they’re easy to lose track of and so we have to be very careful when planting to make sure that none are lost.

With a little bit of love, some water and a lot of warmth, it doesn’t take long before these are sprouting into strong little dicots. As soon as the risk of frost has past, we tuck these one by one into rows in the field.

And in a burst of miraculous growth, once they’ve found themselves at home in the soil, they begin to bulb out. Little by little they start to swell until well, you know, they’re all about that bass.

We harvest them just as the air starts to get crisp at night. They’re a staff favourite in terms of harvesting because they’re easy to pluck out of the soil and the fresh smell of earthy field and sharp onion is so good, it’s difficult to put into words.

What you didn’t know…

Bulbs from the onion family are one of the oldest foods on earth. From the bronze age to ancient Egypt, onions were an essential part of the human diet. Not only that, they had a spiritual and health component too. When Ramesses IV died, he was buried with onions on his eyes (sacred because of their concentric circles thought to symbolize eternal life).

In ancient Greece, athletes would eat large amounts of onions because it was thought to lighten the blood and the gladiators of ancient Rome rubbed down with onions to firm up their muscles. Onions even served as rent payment and important gifts in the middle ages.

When settlers took crops to North America, onions were on the top of their list, once they got to the “new world” they realize that indigenous tribes were already cultivating them.

The health property of onions has been long known and widely applied. While its juices can be used as a natural repellant for insects and its single layer, large cells play an important role in science education and research, onions have been widely prescribed for a variety of ailments. Whether you’re looking to cure a cough, snakebite, hair loss, headache or digestive issues, onions have been toted as possessing a wide swath of restorative powers. You’ll just have to try it for yourself!

Nutrition

Other than being good in everything and tasty even on their own, onions carry very little other than amazing flavour. Low in calories, it’s a good source of fibre, vitamin C, omega 6 fatty acids, phosphorus and potassium, with a helping of calcium and iron thrown in for good measure.