Workers are now harvesting Vidalia onions, those sweet, delectable springtime delights, in a field just outside Cedar Crossing, Ga., in Toombs County.
Driving through Vidalia and Toombs County, it seems that these world-famous onions have made the area more prosperous than neighboring areas. 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 14, 2013, by Andy Brack. All rights reserved.