The Walla Walla Sweet Onion story began nearly a century ago on the Island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy. It was there that a French soldier, Peter Pieri, found a sweet onion seed and brought it to Walla Walla in the late 1800’s. At the time, Italian immigrant gardeners comprised the core of WallaWalla’s gardening industry, and several were Pieri’s neighbors. Impressed by the new onion’s winter hardiness, they and Pieri harvested the seed.
This “French” onion developed over several generations through the process of carefully hand selecting onions from each year’s crop, ensuring exceptional sweetness, jumbo size, and round shape. Today’s growers realize they’re not just raising sweet onions, but cultivating a tradition.
Walla Walla
Walla Walla is actually Native American for “many waters.” Located in the southeast corner of Washington state and nestled at the foot of theBlue Mountains, Walla Walla is a community steeped in history and blessed with natural beauty. Walla Walla has often been called an “oasis in the desert” because of the abundance of trees in this generally arid region. The climate is moderate, with average annual temperatures from 32.4 to 88.9 degrees.
Average annual precipitation is 15.96 inches with approximately 20 inches of snow during the winter months. Walla Wallans enjoy a wide variety of cultural and recreation opportunities, with a world-renowned symphony, three colleges, and a population of nearly 29,000.
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