Texas 1015 Sweet Onions Looking Strong for 2020; Dante Galeazzi, Ted Brasch, Courtney Schuster, and Trent Bishop Comment



Texas 1015 Sweet Onions Looking Strong for 2020; Dante Galeazzi, Ted Brasch, Courtney Schuster, and Trent Bishop Comment


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TEXAS - Onions have long been a necessary ingredient in many cultures, with a definitive flavor that brings tears to the eyes—usually. This is an increasingly busy category as it becomes more and more necessary to have the right onion for whatever purpose it might serve. And Texas Sweet Onions, or Texas 1015's, as many call them, holds their very own space in America’s domestic offerings.

Dante Galeazzi, President and CEO, Texas International Produce Association (TIPA)“What makes Texas onions so great is they’re the first new crop onions produced domestically. Consumers love these varieties of onions because they have less peruvix (the acidity that makes you cry) so they’re not only great to eat sautéed or grilled, but they have excellent crunch and a milder flavor so that they can be eaten fresh, too. Salads, burgers, and sandwiches just aren’t complete in the spring and summer without Texas onions,” Dante Galeazzi, President and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, shares.

As 2019 winds down, the new year isn’t the only thing approaching.

Texas Sweet Onions, or Texas 1015s, hold a special place in the category's domestic market as a kick-off to the onion calendar (Photo courtesy of Rio Fresh)

"Texas 1015 is the first domestic sweet onion on the market for the new year, and one Texas retailers, and retailers in general, really seem to want. We differentiate from other onions on the market in that our growing regions are a bit more spread out than alternative sweet onions, which we do intentionally to help us avoid weather issues," Ted Brasch, Sales Manager at Crescent Fruit and Vegetable, says.

Promotional periods for the Texas 1015 tend to kick off in the spring and go into mid-summer, most commonly during Semana Santa, Easter, Memorial Day, and Father’s Day.

Courtney Schuster, Sales, Rio Fresh“Thanks to the unique, mild winter weather South Texas enjoys, we can provide the earliest true sweet onion of the year, which perfectly aligns with springtime barbeque weather. Because the Texas 1015 is a short day onion grown throughout the winter, you end up with a crisp, mild, perfectly juicy sweet onion available as early as March,” Courtney Schuster of Rio Fresh, shares.

Trent Bishop, Vice President of Sales for 1015 grower J&D Produce, marks the onion as a traditional calendar event.

Trent Bishop, Vice President of Sales, J&D ProduceThe 1015 signifies the official start of the domestic sweet onion supply. The Texas sweet onion is as distinctive as the state from which it originates and has been the official state vegetable since 1977. There is always an energy and excitement added to the category when consumers learn that Texas 1015 onions are available or about to become available,” Trent says.

If Mother Nature cooperates, I’m assured that there is no reason promotional volumes wouldn’t be available as early as St. Patrick’s Day and as late as the 4th of July, just in time to complement Texas cabbage, greens, and watermelons.

The Texas 1015 season kicks off as early as February and can run as late as July, depending on conditions (Photo courtesy of Texas International Produce Association)

“Texas onion plantings are well underway. At this point, a majority of the crop is in the ground and the weather has been great,” Dante concludes, meaning equally great quality for buyers.

If there is anything life in the produce industry has taught me, it’s that on time is late, Mother Nature always has the final say, and the next season will be here before we know it. So if you aren’t already planning for the 2020 season of Texas 1015, there is no time like the present!

Texas International Produce Association Rio Fresh J&D Produce Frontera



Companies in this Story


Crescent Fruit & Vegetable

Crescent Fruit & Vegetable is a proud grower and distributor of premium watermelons and onions. Our family owned…


Texas International Produce Association

The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) was created in 1942 by a group of industry leaders who shared a vision…


Little Bear Produce

For our company, Little Bear Produce, the goals of quality products and service are first and foremost. That’s why we…


Rio Fresh

PRIMUS CERTIFIED. Rio Fresh, Inc. strives to be an industry leader in producing, packaging, and distributing high quality…