Vidalia onion fundraiser begins

HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Vidalia onions just might taste sweeter, knowing the purchase contributes to a worthy cause.

The Towns County 4-H program is offering 10-pound bags of Vidalia Onions for $10 each.

Proceeds help fund students in 4-H programs such as camp, educational trips, community service outreach, and public speaking competitions.

According to the Vidalia Onion Committee’s website, the story of the Vidalia onion – Georgia’s official state vegetable – began in 1931.

In the late spring, a Toombs County farmer named Moses Coleman made a surprising discovery; the onions he had grown were not hot (as most onions are), but mild and sweet. Once word got out about the new onions – which Coleman sold during the Depression-era – other farmers in the region started growing the sweet onions as well.

In the 1940s, before the interstate highway system, Vidalia was at the crossroads of some of the busiest roads in south Georgia. The state decided to build a market to help promote and sell the onions. Customers started referring to them as ‘Vidalia onions” and the name remained.

Orders can be placed online,  in person at the 4-H extension office, located at 67 Lakeview Circle in Hiawassee, or by calling 706-896-2024.

The deadline for orders is April 30th and delivery will begin the second week of May.