Vidalia onion 1364271 224828180 2008-07-10T16:27:48Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other A '''Vidalia onion''' is a [[sweet onion]] of certain varieties, grown in a production area defined by law in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and by the [[United States]] [[Code of Federal Regulations]] (CFR). The varieties include the [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] yellow granex, varieties of granex parentage, or other similar varieties recommended by the Vidalia Onion Committee and approved by the [[United States Secretary of Agriculture|U.S. Secretary of Agriculture]]. The onions were first grown near [[Vidalia, Georgia]], in the early 1930s. It is an unusually sweet variety of onion, due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which the onions are grown. Moses Coleman is considered the person that discovered the sweet Vidalia Onion variety in 1931. Georgia's state legislature passed the "Vidalia Onion Act of 1986" which authorized a [[trademark]] for "Vidalia Onions" and limits the production area to Georgia or any subset as defined by the state's Commissioner of Agriculture. The current definition includes: *The following thirteen counties: [[Emanuel County, Georgia|Emanuel]], [[Candler County, Georgia|Candler]], [[Treutlen County, Georgia|Treutlen]], [[Bulloch County, Georgia|Bulloch]], [[Wheeler County, Georgia|Wheeler]], [[Montgomery County, Georgia|Montgomery]], [[Bulloch County, Georgia|Evans]], [[Tattnall County, Georgia|Tattnall]], [[Toombs County, Georgia|Toombs]], [[Telfair County, Georgia|Telfair]], [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis]], [[Appling County, Georgia|Appling]], and [[Bacon County, Georgia|Bacon]]. *Portions of the following seven counties: [[Jenkins County, Georgia|Jenkins]], [[Screven County, Georgia|Screven]], [[Laurens County, Georgia|Laurens]], [[Dodge County, Georgia|Dodge]], [[Pierce County, Georgia|Pierce]], [[Wayne County, Georgia|Wayne]], and [[Long County, Georgia|Long]]. The Vidalia onion was named Georgia's [[Lists of U.S. state insignia|official state vegetable]] in 1990. == Federal definition of production area == In 1989, at the request of producers and handlers meeting the standards defined by Georgia law, the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] promulgated a Federal Marketing Order (CFR Title 7, Part 955) which included the following definition of the production area: <blockquote>''Beginning at a point in [[Laurens County, Georgia|Laurens County]] where [[U.S. Highway 441]] intersects Highway 16; thence continue southerly along U.S. Highway 441 to a point where it intersects the southern boundary of Laurens County; thence southwesterly along the border of Laurens County to a point where it intersects the county road known as Jay Bird Springs Road; thence southeasterly along Jay Bird Springs Road to a point where it intersects [[U.S. Highway 23]]; thence easterly to a point where U.S. Highway 23 intersects the western border of [[Telfair County, Georgia|Telfair County]]; thence southwesterly following the western and southern border of Telfair County to a point where it intersects with [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis County]]; thence following the southern border of Jeff Davis County to a point where it intersects with the western border of Bacon County; thence southerly and easterly along the border of Bacon County to a point where it intersects Georgia State Road 32; thence easterly along Georgia State Road 32 to [[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad|Seaboard Coastline Railroad]]; thence northeasterly along the tracks of Seaboard Coastline Railroad to a point where they intersect [[Long County, Georgia|Long County]] and [[Liberty County, Georgia|Liberty County]]; thence northwesterly and northerly along the southwestern border of Liberty County to a point where the border of Liberty County intersects the southern border of [[Evans County, Georgia|Evans County]]; thence northeasterly along the eastern border of Evans County to the intersection of the [[Bulloch County, Georgia|Bulloch County]] border; thence northeasterly along the Bulloch County border to a point where it intersects with the [[Ogeechee River]]; thence northerly along the main channel of the Ogeechee River to a point where it intersects with the southeastern border of [[Screven County, Georgia|Screven County]]; thence northeasterly along the southeasterly border of Screven County to the main channel of the [[Savannah River]]; thence northerly along the main channel of the Savannah River to a point where the northwestern boundary of [[Hampton County, South Carolina]] intersects the Savannah River; thence due west to a point where State Road 24 intersects Brannen Bridge Road; thence westerly along Brannen Bridge Road to a point where it intersects with State Road 21; thence westerly along State Road 21 to the intersection of State Road 17; thence westerly along State Road 17 to the intersection of State Road 56 and southerly to the northern border of [[Emanuel County, Georgia|Emanuel County]]; thence westerly and southerly along the border of Emanuel County to a point where it intersects the [[Treutlen County, Georgia|Treutlen County]] border; thence southerly to a point where the Truetlen County border intersects [[Interstate 16|Interstate Highway 16]]; thence westerly to the point of beginning in Laurens County.''</blockquote> == External links == *[http://www.vidaliaonion.org/ Vidalia Onion Committee], the official website *[http://www.vidaliaonionfestival.com/history.html] The History of the Vidalia Onion (2008 marks the festivals 31st year) *[http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-961&hl=y Entry about the Vidalia onion] from the [[New Georgia Encyclopedia]] *[http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/mocommodities/955.htm Marketing Order 955: Vidalia Onions], from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website [[Category:Onions]] [[Category:Flora of Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[simple:Vidalia onions]]