Green-thumbed onion lovers have again been getting their hands on John Flint’s Gladalion Brown onion seedlings in his annual fundraiser for the Tenterfield Care Committee.
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Mr Flint was on hand to see Linda Nye of Thrifty-Link Hardware hand over nearly $700 to committee president Rhonda Rovera, with limited supplies of this season’s seedlings still available at the outlet. Mr Flint said all of the seedlings are sold through Thrifty-Link or directly by him, at a cost of $5.50 for a bundle of 50 plants.
The onions have become a Tenterfield tradition grown not only around town but as far afield as Laidley, where 100,000 of them go each year.
“They’re a nice big onion, and if you plant them in June they’re ready by November,” Mr Flint said.
Although it’s too late now for a November crop, it’s not too late to get some into the ground for a later harvest.
Mrs Rovera said the onions are much sought after. While there’s little room between husband Wally’s vehicles to grow them herself, she said she’s a keen consumer.
Mr Rovera said the annual contributions help the committee enormously, with a variety of items purchased with the funds to improve facilities at Millrace and Haddington. With extensions to Haddington on the drawing board, every bit helps.
And why raise onions to benefit the nursing home?
“Well one day I might be there myself,” Mr Flint said.
He called on other local producers with similar prospects to also consider their own fundraising ventures.