One of the first commercial crops of Vidalia onions was grown near this site in 1931 by local farmer Moses Coleman. The onion is planted in a 20-county area from September through February and harvested from late April through early June. Vidalia onions are very low in pungency because the native soils are low in sulfur and the crop grows in a mild climate. Grown in this 20-county area, they have developed an international reputation as the world's sweetest onion. The Vidalia onion was named Georgia's official vegetable in 1990 and became a major state industry.