I am not in OKC but I think it is a great idea. I have ordered from them in the past and it is just way to expensive unless you are buying a lot at one time, then it is very inexpensive. Way to go seedmama.

Warning to participants.... Remember the beans, and now you are going to let her count onions. LOL

So I gotta come get you again??? LOL!!!! Only for you, my friend...only for you. ha!

I think this a great idea! But I do have to voice my concerns. We will have to have a LOT of people in order for this to be really cost effective. I placed my own order this year and I spent over $30 for 6 bunches. They were so highly recommended I justified the expense...and I'll also add that this has been a BAD (to say the least) year for root crops because of our stupid sporadic weather. I got a whole lot more onions out of the 5 bunches that I purchased at K&K than I did my order. I credit that to the weather....and the fact that what I got at that local garden center looked WAY BETTER than what I received. Theirs' were Dixondale's also....saw it on the crates and I talked with the employee that does the ordering. I also only paid $1.99 per bunch for some and $1.59 per bunch for other. We don't need our resident bean counter to do the math. Just sayin'.....

If there are enuf others that are interested in this, then I'll certainly take part. Much more fun to buy with friends! Also, I'll mention that the afore-mentioned garden center told me if I'd let them know what I wanted and how much, they'd be sure to include that in their order. Just might be another avenue for us and hey, next year may be a better root crop year! (As Dawn says...there's always next year!)

Don't shoot me, Seedmama! Just thought I'd pitch in this info....especially since I'm to blame for your trips to this garden center. I'm cool with it either way....

Paula

I'm in if the rest of y'all are in.

After bad late winter/early spring weather two years in a row, I need a really great onion year next year.

Seedmama,

Feb. 15th is fine and it wouldn't offend me if it was 2 weeks later than that. The last two years it has been too muddy for me to plant until early March anyway, so I'm cool with whatever date works for everyone else.

Paula,

I know what you're saying about the cost. I never see crates of Dixondale onions in stores here...I see Bonnie Plants and they are never as fresh and green as the ones from Dixondale. I wonder if you and Seedmama could convince K&K to order a 'bulk' order for forum members at the price they pay? They'd get lots of good publicity (or we could keep our mouths shut if they didn't want other folks asking for the same thing!).

Group purchases are always fun.....sort of a "we're all in this together" type thing.

Dawn

P-mac, I'm not going to shoot you. I'm going to thank you for reminding me about some sleuthing I did. After you told me about your experience with K&K I called them to inquire about Dixondale onions. It sounded like the best deal in town and I wanted to be a part of it. I asked when their Dixondale onion sets would arrive in 2011 and which varieties they would offer. I had two conversations, one with the person who orders and the other with the owner. (I wasn't happy with the first answer so I waited a week, played dumb, and called back.) This is not a BigBox set up and I've found everyone there to be most knowledgeable. I was just trying to ask the same questions from a different angle.
The order person told me she'd never heard of Dixondale. I assured her my friend had purchased some from K&K and I was inquiring as to variety and future date of availability. She said we offer red, white and yellow. And we don't buy from Dixondale. She wouldn't commit to Candy, Red Candy Apple or SuperStar, but with the same gracious service we'd all expect from K&K, she did offer to do a special order and gave me a date when I should call back.

So here's my logical conclusion. It is very possible they were selling Dixondale onions, purchased from an intermediate wholesaler. The order maker at K&K would have recognized the name of the wholesaler, but perhaps not Dixondale. If they aren't specifically ordering Dixondale, but were lucky enough to get them last year, I can't be guaranteed that those will be the ones to arrive this year. No doubt they will be good onions, but not necessarily Dixondale. I rarely shop name brand, especially on something like onion sets, but this year I've decided that's what I want. And P-mac, I'm definitely not questioning the conversation you had with the order person, I'm just sharing that my conversation was somewhat different. I'll be watching K&K next year, and possibly having a conversation with them again between now and then. I'm always looking for a deal and I like supporting local establishments. That said, I don't know whether it would make sense to drive to Norman to acquire, then drive to OKC to distribute, using both gas and time.

Based on last year's price, and my expectation that prices won't go down, I would expect to have to pay a minimum of $2.50 per bunch, assuming we get a mixed order of 30 bunches. If we came up with an order that included 30 of a single variety, we could conceivably get an additional 10% off. I don't mind driving one time to a single location to facilitate everyone getting a better deal on onions. We could call it a February Fling. Once we had everyone's order, I would post the estimated cost per bunch, based on the order. Assuming we had less than 30 bunches it would be more than 2.50, but less than $11, and everyone would have a chance to opt out. The compelling reason for me to organize a group order is price. If we don't have enough bunches to lower the price significantly, it wouldn't really make sense to me.

These are just some tentative thoughts, trying to get a head start on November.

Seedmama

ah-ha!!! You said you talked to a "she"! "She" is the one that refered me to a "him"....Me thinks they might be passing the buck...and I'm glad to know that now. I specifically spoke with her about their provider...and "Dixondale" was all over their crates! "She" told me she didn't order, but "he" did. Then when I rang up & out, the Owner was my "clerk". I recognize him because I'm in there sooooo much. I told him my experience with my direct order and he seemed puzzled. He's the one that told me that he was happy I was buying them there, and that in the future, to let him know what I wanted and he'd make sure they were included in their order so I could get them there...and of course, pick up some other goodies which ALWAYS happens! I also bought the bulk of my seed potatoes there this year.

I think you're on to something! Either way, I'm sure we're going to get a good deal. Thank you for spear-heading this...and like I've said - I'll be happy to come "get you"! I'm in!

Yep, the order maker was a she, referred to me by the he. She probably didn't refer me back to the he because I had told her he sent me.
Here's what I think makes sense. Let's do a survey now to get a feel for tentative interest, to determine potential quantity. I will recontact K&K regarding a customer order at the time written in my notes. (Don't have that notebook handy, will have to dig.) I am very comfortable asking for a best price with a bulk order. This nursery is very supportive of the community, and the way to keep them in business to buy from them. With that said, I would expect to pay a fee of some sort, for the use of their bulk buying power. That is, after all, what a retailer is in the business of doing. We could get a price better than the one posted on the Dixondale website, and K&K could earn a fee for their trouble. Everyone could win.

Here are key points for us to keep in mind:
1. The purpose of this exercise is to give all of us access to Dixondale onions at a reasonable price per bunch.
2. There is a lot of wisdom in keeping the process simple. We'll all have good feelings about each other if we understand the parameters ahead of time, and keep expectations realistic. That's a polite way of saying I don't want to be in the custom onion business. I just want to help my friends grow great onions for a reasonable price.
3. I am spearheading this as a way to contribute for the benefit of my GW friends. I wasn't able to collect and share seeds last year. Given that in years past I was able to share a few thousand packets of seed for SASBE, I've been really down about my inability to do the same this year. I'm not in a position to do something big, like host a Spring Fling, but I would like to do something nice. (Yes, that IS gratuitous sucking up in hopes that p-mac will graciously (or ungraciously for that matter) host our gathering again next year.) Either way, I'll pitch in for the Johnny-On-The-Spot.

Let's claim these assumptions:
1. We're shooting for a minimum order of 30 bunches of 60, which would give us a price around $2.50 per bunch.
2. Given the right parameters we could use K&K's bulk buying power, which might reduce the price further.

TENTATIVELY, HOW MANY BUNCHES WOULD YOU BUY UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES? This does not constitute and order, just a survey. If you are unsure WHAT you would buy, be sure to note the Intermediate Day Sampler.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dixondale Farms

Seedmama,

I'd buy six bunches. That makes me almost as onion-addicted as Jay was this past spring. Note that I said "almost".

Dawn

The accountant/cheapskate in me would like to point out the following:

The VERY best deal will be if you purchase EXACTLY 30 bunches @ $71.75 (2.39 per bunch). 29 and 28 bunches are also a good deal at $2.44 and $2.49 respectively. If you go OVER 30 bunches, each additional bunch is $2.50, so the sweet spot is 50 bunches (although I have not taken shipping into account/unknown)?

Each Bunch is 5 DOZEN plants? This seems like a lot of bang for the buck for $2.50.

I would be in for at least 2 bunches. I know my neighbor KelleyP125 travels to OC at least a couple times per month, and I am pretty sure she would pick them up for me. Actually make that 3 bunches. I will spring for a bunch for her too if she picks them all up. :D

Jo

ETA sweet spot is 30 bunches. Darn brain.

Oh joellen, I am so laughing at and with you. I'd already figured the sweet spot too. But after the horrendous grief soonergrandmom gave me about counting my bean seed this spring, I decided to play it Cool Hand Luke style and use ambiguous phrases like "around $2.50" and "less than $2.50" Am I smooth or what? I'm with you, though. Dixondale often packs generously, so 60 plus quality sets for $2.50 IS a real bargain.

As an accountant/cheapskate myself, I must say this: If we end up with a number greater than 30, I'm still going to let people in. (Insert huge eye roll here.) I've been on the receiving end of some incredibly generous people here, and I'd gladly pay 11 cents more per bunch so I can pay it forward.

About that darn brain. Give up and don't try to fix it. It will only get worse. I spit up on myself, figuratively speaking, all the time. I now refer to my mistakes as charm and character and get on with it.

Seedmama

ELEVEN CENTS???? NO WAY. Count me OUT.

Just kidding. It's a banging deal, and I want some onions!

Jo

Jo
Brace yourself. Soonergrandmom is at home, meticulously honing her words. It's coming. And it's going to be funny.

Put me down for 6 bunches....and I can also add to that if we get close to the "30" mark. This last spring, I planted a total of 12 bundles just trying to get a decent crop.

Paula

Joellen,

The reason I sent out Dixondale Onions to everyone a couple of years ago was that my bunches had well over 60 onions each.....closer to 200 to 300 onions each. I sent out a lot of onions and was happy to share them. Last year, though, my bunches only had 60 to maybe 80 onions each. I guess they hired packing help for 2010 who could count/guesstimate better than the folks the year before!

I was a bean counter for quite a few years for a defense contractor. Since we had government contracts, we had to count all those beans hourly, daily, monthly, etc. and then the government auditors recounted the breans. Carol knows exactly what I mean.

Dawn

We're halfway to 30 already. Not that I'm counting.

My sister-in-law, now in her fifties, worked in the South Texas onion fields before and after school. She tells stories about how it didn't matter how badly they stunk upon arrival to school, because all the other kids worked there too. I seriously doubt kids are allowed to work in the onion fields anymore, and I know nothing about Dixondale's workers, but 2nd graders would be one explanation for a count being way off!

Waiting with baited breath for Sooergrandmom to weigh in...I am always up for a chuckle, even if I don't know the joke (BEANS?)

I'll get more than 3 bunches too if you need them to hit the limit. I love onions.

Jo

I meant bated, not baited.

brain, beans. I can't spell.

Was just glancing at this thread getting a chuckle out of a few of the posts. As I felt distance would make it unfeasible for me to participate. Just minding my own business. When I saw my name mentioned. See I order ten or more so they are cheaper per bundle. My story and I'm sticking to it.
Dawn you have me beat on tomatoes and peppers. So maybe I've beat you on garlic and onions. After the number that bolted a good deal I ordered extra this year. Jay

Jay,

I knew it would catch your attention if I mentioned your name....not to mention that fact that I've never seen you ignore a Dixondale onion thread!

The problem with overplanting onion transplants on purpose is that every now and then they all make onions! In 2008, all my onions (think it was 6 bundles) survived and thrived and I harvested hundreds and hundreds of onions. I knew we couldn't eat all of them fresh, so both chopped and sliced up a bunch and froze them for use in cooking.

I STILL have some of those in the deep freeze and they taste fine (no freezer burner), so they may carry me through this year since my onion harvest is not great this year.

Dawn

I'd definitely be in! Maybe 3-4 bunches? I didn't order any last year because I just couldn't justify the cost for making such a small order.

Now that I have an audience, I have nothing funny to say.........

However if you can read the thread that I am going to dredge up and NOT laugh at the first posting, then you just have no sense of humor at all.

I read it and laughed till my sides hurt, then my DH did about the same thing when I read it to him. I have a box of seeds, maybe even a big box of seeds. I can usually find it.

I not only don't know how many seeds I have, I don't know how many packs I have.

Do I figure out how many square feet, I can alot to each veggie. Are you kidding, I don't even know the measurements of my garden. I decide what gets prime ground just before I put the seed in the ground.

I guess when you have an accountant and an architect trying to create beauty, usefulness, and production out of the same foot of real estate, it has to get interesting. This is proof positive that accountants earned their title as "bean counters".

Maybe Jo, and the other accountants won't laugh, but I did.

Here is a link that might be useful: The bean counter thread

Well, LOL.

She is a girl after my own heart. I am tempted to count all of my seeds, but I am too lazy.

I throw some stuff in the ground and hope it grows. If it doesn't, I come complain here and ask you all for advice.

I understand the compulsion though! And kudos for awesome records kept. She can count my onions any day. ;)

Jo

So I take it I'm not the only one with numerous drafts of garden plans mapped out to scale on graph paper each year?

Actually, I'm not that bad the past couple of years. I still do my rough drafts but don't have the new garden dimensions exact as they keep growing. That and life's been rather crazy so I'm lucky to throw down some seeds in the general direction of dirt and maybe spit on them as I walk by. But I still graph. And spreadsheet. Because if I can't have a perfectly laid garden in reality, I'm gonna have one on paper for sure!

(No onion order for me as I'm not yet sure where we'll be next year and I doubt I'd drive up to OKC for them anyway. LOL)

Diane

What a great idea!

I am in OKC, and I ordered 4 bunches from Dixondale last year. I would be happy to help fill the group order, if you guys need any help working up to an order of 30 sets.

I am sure this discussion will heat up in November lol.

Diane, I used to do all those elaborate graphs but then I didn't even follow my own plan so I gave up planning completely. I also usually try to take graph paper out to the garden and draw a 'map' of my garden after it is planted. That is especially helpful if I'm growing new (to me) tomato or potato varieties and want to keep track of what is what. However, I usually lose the graph paper map at some time during the summer, so making it is an exercise in futility.

I was just looking at the garden and it looks great, but there are plants in there that I didn't plant. Some are volunteers that I let stay, and others are....weeds! Hey, I didn't plant those things!

I think at this point the weeds are creeping under the fence and trying to take over and halfway succeeding because I have been so distracted by the constant canning of the heavy fruit crop that I have neglected the garden. I hope it rains today and wets/softens the soil so I can have a major weeding day tomorrow. I'll have to be careful though. It is such a jungle in there that I may encounter African lions or elephants or monkeys or something.

Dawn

....and Dawn chooses her words carefully, as not to include the many animals she has already seen and could encounter.....

Dawn, you should charge admission at the gate because I think you already have the zoo.

Dawn,
I waited as long as I could before I thinned them out this year. Still had some bolt after I thinned. I won't know how my onion year will be till I've pulled them all. I have pulled about half. So have at least 150 more to pull. Super Star is getting some nice size and most are showing no signs falling over. Alisa Craig and a few others are the same. I pulled the last of the Red Southern Belle last night. A few nice sized bulbs but lots of size variance. From just bigger than a tennis ball to almost bigger than a hardball. Most varieties have been that way. I wonder if the difference is because of the size variance of the plants when they arrived. I had them from pencil size to bigger than a shooter marble. Because they were all planted at the same time. And in the same row. And you will find one big one and six inches away will be one that is golf ball sized or bolted. A odd year. But could very well turn out to be a good one. Big Daddy is another that I haven't pulled that shows some signs for having nice sized bulbs. Jay

I'm in.... I'll probably order two bundles or possibly three depending on what gets phased out in next years planning.

Last November I ordered one bundle of Candy and one bundle of Red Candy. When the order arrived, it was very lopsided in quantity by variety and I ended up with many more Red Candy (not that I'm complaining).

After reading several posts about it being a bad onion year, I must have been blessed with beginner's luck because I had a really great harvest. Only five plants bolted -- which worked out fine since I needed onions at the exact moment each one bolted anyway. The majority of the crop were at least grocery store size and a few definitely qualified as hamburger slicers. However, the really puzzling thing was that both varieties ended up being hot not sweet. What the heck?!? How weird is that!?!?

Anyway, just wanted to jump in with my little, bitty size order (wish Santa would bring me more land this Christmas).

I would love 2-3 bunches!

laura_lea and okfella,
I don't recognize you and just wanted to say Hi! Glad you are on board.

We are getting so close to thirty, and I have some friends and family who want in. I think we're there and there's no reason to stop.

I'll be checking in even less often than usual. I caught a virus this morning clicking on a link to... get this..low sugar plum jelly. What is wrong with people? The computer shop is backed up, so I'll limp along at the library until they can take care of me.

Diane,
You and I have a lot more in common than you realize. There are so many times I'm in the garden and I think, I need to email Diane. Maybe this week I'm glad I'm not in your address book? Getting on a hacker's list AND getting infected all in one week might send me over the edge. My mom keeps telling me women are like tea bags. You don't realy know how strong they are until they in hot water. I'm tired of being a teabag. Graphs, charts, lists and inventories make me feel, momentarily, like I have some control on this ride. It's a false illusion, but it gives me some sanity!!! Whatever works. The bonus is, I can make people like SGM laugh, and that's a good thing.

Put me down for 3 bunches. One of leeks, one of 1015 yellow and 1 of candy apple red.

Bob

Seedmama, you're welcome in my address book anytime!

Dawn, I may never get to the point where I can function without graph paper. Like Seedmama, it's sometimes the only make-believe grasp I have on control and sanity and I tend to hang on to it with all of my strength (and tell myself whatever little lies I need to in order to believe it will come true).

Self-delusion os a powerful tool and I like it!

/so not on the onion topic here...

Diane

Hi Seedmama,

We met at the spring swap 2009. I took home some of your agastache seeds. I was not able to attend the swap this year but hope to get there next year!

I didn't have great luck with the onions this year but enough to look forward to next!

Laura

Hi Laura,
I remember meeting you, and I wondered at this year's swap where you were. I hope you'll make it to the next one as well. At the very least, I'll get you see you at the onion drop!

Seedmama

Seedmama,

Thanks for taking this on. I was wanting to order from Dixondale, but was worried about the cost. Put me down for 3 bunches.

Thanks again!
Andria