Asparagus, Local? Seasonal?

The loss of farmers and their work

Every year I buy a bunch of asparagus as a token to the local economy here in the Central Valley of California. To me this is an event because I actually purchase so few fruits and vegetables. I have been working at farms and trying to grow my own food for the past 10 years, and this has made me question all of my purchases at the grocery store.

The occasion for me is celebrating the seasonal harvest of a vegetable that can only be produced for a couple of months of the year. By eating seasonally, I enjoy the best quality produce only at the time of year it is available in my region. I also support the people and places that grow my food.

So why should we care where our food is grown? Mexican asparagus probably tastes fine. Asparagus isn’t even one of my favorite vegetables. But, asparagus represents the seasonality of food. It’s only available for a few months of the year. And, as a perennial plant, it takes 2–3 years to get to maturity and then it takes up space in the ground for the rest of its life (this is a big thing for farmers).

Asparagus has been grown here in the valley for over 100 years, and has been celebrated with its own festival in Stockton for 30 years. The fact that we have a festival that celebrates our heritage says to me that people take…