The National Onion Association has a dual mission of influence: policy in Washington, and education in kitchens across the country, from its homebase in Colorado.
Story by Renee Ror
Tucked in Colorado—nearly the geographic center of the growers and suppliers it represents—the National Onion Association has spent more than a century championing one of the kitchen’s most essential ingredients; essential especially for those that value flavor in dishes. Since its founding in 1913, the organization has served as a connective thread between onion growers, policymakers, and consumers, all in service of the simple idea that better meals start with better ingredients. In that role, its impact extends well beyond advocacy, helping shape national conversations around agriculture, nutrition, and the everyday value of fresh produce.
While not every crop has a dedicated national association, most larger ones in terms of crop sales within the United States do have organizations that serve a similar role to the National Onion Association. Usually called commodity or trade associations, they exist for crops with a large enough footprint where growers benefit from coordinated efforts.
The National Onion Association represents hundreds of onion growers across the US, many of them multigenerational farmers. Through research support, promotion, and industry collaboration, the organization helps ensure that onions remain a reliable, accessible staple in grocery stores and kitchens and an active ingredient in our food systems. Behind the crop is a network of people committed to cultivating high-quality produce while stewarding the land for years now into the future, with a dedication that rarely makes headlines but consistently shapes the way America eats every day. American dishes, and cuisine across borders, is profoundly influenced by the onion. In kitchens around the world, onions are the quiet starting point of nearly every dish; the first thing to hit the pan, laying the foundation for everything that follows.
Few ingredients offer the same range: Sharp and pungent when raw, deeply mellow and sweet when cooked. It’s one of the only farm-fresh ingredients that build flavor from the ground up, forming the base of soups, sauces, sautés, and roasts. And while the appeal is often viewed through the lens of flavor, onions also come with notable nutritional benefits that make them an easy, accessible way to add nourishment to everyday meals. It is a low-calorie, nutrient-packed staple, rich in vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, and antioxidants. They also provide fiber, especially gut-friendly prebiotics, making them great for the body. That dual role is central to the National Onion Association’s mission, and one it actively promotes through consumer education and outreach.
“We want families to feel good about what they’re serving at the dinner table,” says Executive Vice President Greg Yielding. “That’s why we share simple, trustworthy information about nutrition and health, along with recipes people will enjoy making. At the same time, we’re working in Washington, D.C., to support America’s onion growers—so they can keep delivering the high-quality food families count on every day.”
That work happens on multiple fronts with touchpoints across a wide range of audiences. The organization provides educational resources for consumers, offering practical ways to cook with onions and incorporate them into everyday meals, while also engaging with retailers, foodservice professionals, and industry partners to keep onions relevant and visible in a changing food landscape. The association also advocates on behalf of growers at the national level—helping shape policy, protect agricultural interests, and ensure long-term stability for the industry, from labor and trade to pesticide regulation and research funding. As a prime example, the association has pushed for inclusion of onions in federal programs, including pandemic food distribution efforts and SNAP stocking standards, expanding both access and demand.
From its home base in Eaton, Colorado, the National Onion Association remains closely tied to the state’s onion growers—farmers who understand the long view required to bring a crop from soil to table. Past state borders, its reach extends far beyond Colorado, carrying the voices of those growers to where policy decisions shape the future of American agriculture. It stands on the bridge between local and national conversations, ensuring that the work happening in towns like Eaton still resonates across the country.