Georgia’s famed Vidalia onions return to stores despite weather hurdles, with growers like Aries Haygood optimistic about quality after a slow start.
LYONS, Ga. — Georgia’s iconic Vidalia onions have returned to stores this spring, but this year’s crop faced weather-related challenges.
Aries Haygood, the co-owner and operator of A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, said the Vidalia onion’s sweet flavor comes from the sandy, low-sulfur soils of southeast Georgia, combined with the area’s perfect day length for winter planting.
Haygood said he’s spent nearly two decades perfecting the art of growing Vidalia’s.
“We grow on a sandier type soil,” Haygood said. “We sit in a part of the country that the day length is just right for us to be able to plant the onions in the wintertime.”
This year, farmers like Haygood faced a slow start after losing acres of seed to the wet, cold weather.
“We lost about 100 acres worth of seed personally on our farm,” he said. “We were still able to plant some seed to make sure that we had plenty of availability. It’s just we didn’t have enough earlier seed we typically have.”
Vidalia onions are hand-harvested and inspected to meet strict quality standards, a labor-intensive process that protects the crop’s reputation. The 2025 season saw 10,000 acres planted across 20 counties in south Georgia, with shipments now heading to grocers nationwide, according to the Vidalia Onion Committee.
Haygood said while yields may be lower than last year’s unusually large harvest, he is remaining optimistic about quality.
“I’m very pleased with what I see. I was nervous that we weren’t going to size up, make the correct sizes that we need, but it looks like things have turned around,” Haygood said.
For those eager to enjoy the harvest, Haygood said he recommends a simple recipe.
“I chop them into big chunks, put them in a skillet, kind of like a hibachi style. I’ll cook them down to the texture that I want, then right at the very end I’ll throw a little butter on them, some soy sauce and a little bit of garlic salt. My girls love it.”
The Vidalia onion season runs from mid-April through early September, with the official “pack date” set April 15 this year by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
