It was a record setting year for Crookham's onion seed production and our partner growers. A big thank you goes out to the employees who stepped up and for the forward-thinking individuals who created the systems that performed optimally under the pressure of this abundance. This is a great way to wrap up the onion seed growing season in 2024. 

Crookham Company was proud to host the Popcorn Field Days this year. We thank everyone for the great turn out! 

August 2024 Idaho Onion Reveal for SW Idaho, Eastern Oregon and the Great Basin Washington                                                                                                                                                            We are proud of how well our established hybrids are performing for growers. Defender and Trident continue to hit or break yield expectations. For 2025, we are looking forward to introducing six new hybrids that may fill a production slot for growers in the coming years. Here’s three that stand out.

1. August 2024 Fresh Market New York                                                                                                                                                             Our trial attendance nearly doubled this year, and the Nirvana Series was the draw. Most of the items in this series have the punch of the sh2i gene and we have had reports that the easy snap and short shank can make the packaging process more user-friendly, and we appreciate hearing from growers about their experience so that we can learn more here.

“We were excited for the challenge, and it was incredible to see full trailer after full trailer roll in day after day. The onion umbels were also full of seed and nearly every dryer was full. We had worked with our team, production, research and IT to streamline the process over the years, so we were ready,” says Austin Hildebrandt, Crookham’s seed conditioning manager. “The culture of communication and the systems to back it up are key.”  

1. July 2024 Fresh Market Wisconsin                                                                                                                                                             The Midwest fresh market trial was well attended with the continuing popularity of the Nirvana Series that has established itself as grower friendly and a consumer favorite. The new additions to this series of Elysian and Golden Halo showed well and proved themselves to be worthy of the Nirvana reputation. A hybrid that has been catching my eye for some time is 19-1642.

July 2024 Wisconsin Processor 

July 2024 Midwest Onion Trials – reported by Lyndon Johnson (Lead Long Day Onion Developer) Trident and Caldwell continue to be the dependable favorite in the Midwest and the Northeast. Their durable tops and strong roots are a stable choice for challenging seasons, while their longer storage capacity gives the grower better marketing choices.

July California Fresh Market – Dustin  Batt (Lead Sweet Corn Breeder) The Nirvana Series continued to catch my eye in these trials. For instance, Eden RMN has the punch of the sh2i seed, a reliable disease package and the consumer appeal of its husk protection, tip fill and that unique crunch and taste. I’m also keeping my eye on the white hybrid 18-1435 as it was tastefully abundant in California. 

June New Mexico, Texas and Mexico Trials – reported by Rob Gobleck (Lead Short Day Onion Developer) Mesilla and Redrock had record breaking yields in 2024. This was a one- two punch of a good season combined with two great hybrids. We knew we had a couple of tried-and-true varieties with Redrock and Mesilla, as they were tested in some challenging soils and weather; and remained dependable. But it’s also great to see them perform in a favorable season and go beyond our expectations.