Family hopes to save farm with a bag of onions

PINE ISLAND, N.Y. (WABC) -- A family is hoping to save their Hudson Valley farm with an ebay listing: $150,000 for a bag of onions.

"It's a strong onion, pretty darn good," said Richard Pawelski, farmer.

Good and strong, but is a 50 pound bag of onions worth $150,000?

"It's a shot in the dark, $150,000 for a bag of onions," Pawelski said.

There are about 900 bags of onions in the barn at the Pawelski Family Farm in Pine Island, New York.

But one of them is for sale for six figures on ebay.

"I said well, let's put down $150,000 bid, $300,000 buy now," said Chris Pawelski, farmer.

It's only been listed a few days, but no takers yet.

"My personal situation is grim so I sat down and I thought what can I do and it popped in my head," Chris Pawelski said.

The Pawelski Family Farm is about 100 acres, operated by Chris, his father and his brother.

But Chris grows 51 of those acres and because of Irene, he could only harvest three.

His harvest would have been worth $400,000.

What he did salvage, he will sell for about $8,000.

FEMA won't cover his losses.

He will, however, get $18,000 from a different source of disaster aid.

Chris says that check will arrive in January 2013.

If he doesn't get the money now he says he won't be able to grow anything next year.

Check out the ebay auction here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sale-50lb-bag-yellow-cooking-onions-future-family-farm-/330623063406?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cfaab956e

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