At left, a couple leaves a formal wear store in downtown Vidalia, Ga., At right, a life-size Onion Man and Onion Woman court the love of the sweet onions which made Vidalia famous across the world.
The yellow sign at the bottom of the Onion Couple reads:
There is no marriage sweeter,
Than the “Vidalia sweet onion.”
Like any good marriage, God
Provides the right environment
For a strong sweet marriage,
Soil – Sunshine – Rain.
As we noted in earlier posts, the onions seem to have made the Toombs County area more prosperous than neighboring counties. Still, about 25 percent of county residents live below the poverty level. The median household income is $32,464 — more than $17,000 below the national average.
The region has been in the news lately as labor unions and immigrant groups continue to accuse farmers of exploiting Mexican guest workers who do much of the backbreaking harvest work in May. And now, a group of mostly black American workers in the area are complaining they have a tough time getting work in the fields because of a preference for foreigh guest workers, as highlighted in this May 6 story in The New York Times.
- QuickFacts about Toombs County, Ga., from the U.S. Census.
Photo taken May 15, 2013, by Andy Brack, Center for a Better South. All rights reserved.