Asparagus harvest is underway in earnest this week according to Bernie Solymar, general manager, Asparagus Farmers of Ontario. The heart of asparagus production is in Norfolk County, along the shores of Lake Erie, where volumes should pick up for first supplies to retailers by May 5. That’s barring any unforeseen weather disruptions.
Mike Kungl, an asparagus grower near St. Williams, Ontario, has 50 acres in production. Profiled in the May cover story of The Grower, he explains how soil fertility is a key ingredient to long-term success of this perennial species.
“Growers are taking soil fertility more seriously,” says Kungl. “My soil textures are variable from sharp sand to sandy loam.”
The story updates The Grower’s feature on his father Joseph in June 1995 – 22 years ago. At that time, the family recollected cutting 33 acres during a hot spring of 1988 and harvesting 6,000 pounds of asparagus in one day.
