The first asparagus of the season poked through the soil at Welsh Bros. Farms last week, and the suspense started to build. Some in the produce business whispered that Welsh Bros. — arguably Ontario’s preeminent asparagus grower — could hit the market earlier than usual.
But an overnight frost swept through the 100-acre farm in Scotland, Ont., and the asparagus froze, turned fluorescent green, then fell over in the field, dead.
“Now you kind of wait for it to come back again,” said Charlie Welsh, partner at Welsh Bros.
At this time of year, as anticipation for Ontario asparagus reaches its peak, farmers are careful not to make promises about when the crop will be ready, especially with spring temperatures swinging wildly.
“When I make predictions, I just end up looking like a liar,” Welsh said.
Asparagus grows best at daytime temperatures around 20 C and if there’s a string of good, steady weather, without any overnight frost, he could have some product to market in about five days. But that doesn’t seem likely to happen in the next week, judging from the forecast.
“We’ve got (forecasted) highs around 20 C, you’ve got some days around 10 C, and we’ve got a few ones and zeroes. Those ones and zeroes at night can turn into -3 C and freeze things, or they can turn into 4 C and not affect anything,” Welsh said. “So that’s what makes predicting asparagus impossible — unless I can find an accurate weather forecast, and I haven’t found one of those yet.”
The best prediction he could offer was sometime around May 6, though he said a trickle of asparagus could come sooner.
“You might get lucky enough to get one or two cuts off and then get hit with the frost, but you don’t normally get steady production until May 6,” he said. “So if it comes before May 6, enjoy what we have because it won’t be steady and it won’t last.”
Asparagus season is an exhilarating time at the Ontario Food Terminal in Etobicoke, one of the biggest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets in North America. Retailers want Ontario asparagus on display for Mother’s Day, on May 10, so growers and produce dealers scramble to have product available by then.
“It’s always a race to get some real supply before Mother’s Day,” Welsh said. “We’re going to get to market as soon as we possibly can. But the weather has to co-operate.”
Marshall Cohen, a veteran produce buyer at the terminal, said Welsh Bros. is considered to be “the king of the asparagus, quality-wise.”
In the meantime, the first asparagus from Washington state is “coming on strong” at the terminal, said Cohen, who currently buys produce for Cataldi Fresh Market.
“Washington asparagus is always a beautiful asparagus. The price is, um, it’s not cheap,” he said. “I think Ontario asparagus is probably the best asparagus in North America, hands down.”
