I thought I'd show you some local "products." Unless you live in Michigan or some parts of California, you might not think about asparagus all that much. Here, it's a defining factor. One nearby town bills itself as the "Asparagus Capital of the World." They have a festival, recipe contests, and crown Mrs. Asparagus every year.
I saw the first pickers of the year working this week.
Asparagus grows out of the ground in bare stalks from "crowns," which are clumps of roots. When the stalk is cut before the feathery leaves open the crown will just sprout another! You want to let the last one or two grow so that the plant can rejuvenate itself for the next year. So how do all those stalks get harvested?
By hand. Picking asparagus all day is really hard work. People ride on those "wings" while the machine is continuously moving. They have to lean forward and cut off the stalks and put them in a "lug" (the box). And they keep doing it day after day. Most of the harvesters are migrant workers.
I have enough asparagus in my "kingdom, just growing wild, to enjoy a couple of free meals each year, no machine required.
I'm not aware that there's a place called "asparagus capital of the world".
ReplyDeletei'm curious, does it grow forever since it keeps on sprouting?
I love asparagus - and artichokes...Castroville, CA is known at the "artichoke capital of the world" - you can see miles of them growing on the coast between here and Monterey.
ReplyDeleteWe love asparagus, but only have a couple of plants here. About once a week we drive past a farm where they grow it. We usually stop and buy a pound.
ReplyDeleteoh, i love asparagus, so easy to prepare and can go with anything :)
ReplyDeleteMost of the asparagus in the U.K. is imported from Peru, with a small amount coming from Argentina, Thailand and U.S.A. Apart from during the short U.K. season that is, mid April to mid June.
ReplyDeleteHow do I know all this random stuff about asparagus? I used to be a taste tester for a major supplier! :-)
I'm not a big fan of asparagus. I can eat it but I don't really like it too much. I didn't know that was how it was grown though. I certainly wouldn't want to be one of those people who has to do all that picking.
ReplyDeleteLove asparagus! Once in a while.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll post about a local crop. Good idea!