Have You Smelled The Onions in New York’s Black Dirt Capital?

If you were ever driving through this town in the Hudson Valley and smelled onions you may have wondered why. To some local residents, this may seem normal.

I experienced this when I was passing through in the fall. My friend quickly reminded me of our location and then it all made sense.

Would you have ever guessed that the Hudson Valley has a town referred to as the "Onion Capitol of the World"? 

This black dirt region is located in Pine Island, New York.

Some folks may wonder why or how this is even a thing. It seems that Pine Island has some of the most fertile soil with high sulfur content. This muck soil provides the opportunity to have organic and tasty onions for sale.

How did this all happen?

Thankfully, due to glaciers from about 12,000 years ago, it makes for some of the best soil today. It was formed from those glacial lakes and used to be referred to as the "Drowned Lands." During the 1900's, our ancestors of Dutch, Polish and German descent were able to drain these pockets which allowed the black soil to be discovered. It was then realized of the black soil which I'm sure felt like they hit the jackpot at this time.

As I mentioned before, if you're cruising along Route 6, you may be able to get a whiff of the onions. In warmer months, keep your eyes peeled for tractors and harvesters in full swing.

Will you visit one of the largest onion producing locations?

Orange County is known for a lot of things but most importantly, the onions. There are about 14,000 acres of vegetable farms in the area. This fertile farmland probably has the tastiest onions known to mankind.

Find out more here.

Have you ever driven past these fields? Have you visited a restaurant or farm stand in Pine Island? If not, you must give it a try. Share with us below.