On social this past week, we posted some clips of the weeding crew we use at the farm and what they do in the onion fields. For many years, we have utilized a weeding crew; they go row by row through the onions with hoes and physically up root the weeds that are in the patch.

Emily King, our Post-Harvest manager, in the field with weeding crew and baby.

Why do we use a weeding crew?

There are several reasons with the most important reason being the reduction of herbicide. A weeding crew is VERY expensive, but the benefits outweigh the costs of spraying these tender onion plants at the growing stage they are in.

Before Weeding Crew

Weeding Crew Details

The crew is made up of about 30 people depending on the day. They go through 20+ acre blocks at a time, which is the size of most of our fields. They use hoes to uproot the weeds. With this crew, the are instant results in the field. This work is not easy and requires skill. Many of these fine folks have been part of a weeding crew for decades. Because we are located in the Winter Garden area of Texas (we can grow vegetables just about year-round), this weeding crew weeds a wide variety of crops including carrots, onions for bulb, bell peppers, melons, spinach, etc. Your onion plants would not be as clean as they are without this great crew!

After Weeding Crew

As you can see, the rows are quite clean. Staying ahead of these weeds is important. The larger they grow, the more they will crowd out the onions and block the sunlight. Onions do not like to compete with weeds. A weed-free onion patch is crucial!