Varsity Produce: Short, intermediary and long day onions from same valley

While mostly short day onions are cultivated in California, Varsity Produce from Bakersfield makes an exception, for in the San Joaquin Valley, besides short day onions, intermediary and long day onions are being cultivated in the same area.

Brent Rhodes from Varsity Produce.

Cold storage

Varsity Produce starts harvesting mid-April and finishes the harvest midway through October, after which the onions are kept in cold storage for five to six months. The excursion group from Hazera’s Onion Study Tour took a look at the company that ships mostly peeled onions.

Fresh supply from the field

Food service or processing industry

The company, which is active in cultivation, packaging and processing, was founded in 1983 and supplies yellow, red and white onion strains year-round, including whole peeled onions. Varsity Produce does not supply onions for retail. The majority of the onions are supplied to food service or the processing industry. For that reason the onions can be mechanically harvested.

According to Brent Rhodes challenges include the water shortage and the high logistic costs. However, Varsity Produce does have the possibility of working with drip irrigation. On Tuesday, visitors got teary-eyed in the peeling facility, thanks to the peeled jumbo onions.

White onions.

Red onions.

Yellow onions.

We will just cut those off.

Cold storage.

For more information:
Varsity Produce
2017 Brundage Lane
Bakersfield, CA, (+1) 93304-2850