Oil on black canvas, 11x14, $275. Painted on site. The Black Dirt Region in Pine Island, NY, is where most of the onions consumed in New York State are grown. The incredibly dark soil was the bottom of an ancient lake and swamp that formed there about 10,000 years ago. Starting in the 19th century, the remains of the swamp were drained, largely by Polish immigrants who then settled in the area. The work of harvesting is now largely accomplished by Spanish-speaking immigrants. According to Google, because the nutrient-dense soil is so rare and valuable (representing the largest concentration of its kind outside the Florida Everglades), it is illegal to remove black dirt from the region.