GUELPH, ON – If you’re looking for the first real sign that Ontario’s local food season is underway, don’t look at the calendar, look for asparagus.
Now in markets and grocery stores across the province, Ontario asparagus is the first fresh, field-grown vegetable of the season. Its relatively short but intense harvest window is a reminder of just how connected local food is to timing, weather and the realities of farming in Ontario.
“This is the moment people have been waiting for,” says Teresa Van Raay, farmer and director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “After a long winter, asparagus is the first true taste of fresh, local food coming straight from Ontario fields. It’s a short season, which makes it even more special.”
Unlike many grocery store staples available year-round, asparagus has a narrow seasonal window from around early May to the first week of July. Warm spring temperatures can drive rapid growth, with spears emerging and maturing quickly — sometimes growing up to 15 cm (6 inches) in a single day. That means Ontario farms are often harvesting daily to keep up and deliver the best possible quality.
Source : OFA