HART, Mich. — Asparagus is a common sight in any produce aisle across the country, but before it gets to your plate, a lot of it starts in Oceana County.
- Michigan makes up 81% of processed asparagus in the US, and 49% of the fresh market
- The five-year average annual value of Michigan’s asparagus crop is around $28 million
- Over 29 million pounds of asparagus were produced in Michigan in 2023
And there is a really good reason this really good vegetable loves our really state; we have everything it needs.
"Asparagus loves our sandy soils," Justin Adams with the Michigan Asparagus Research Farm says. "Here, the climate right on Lake Michigan, the Cool Springs, the rainy springs, really help the crop grow."
For 52 years, the area has hosted the National Asparagus Festival, which is happening June 13th-15th in Hart, Michigan. This year's three-day event will feature music, games, and, of course, asparagus.
“So the taste of asparagus is one of the events that we have," said National Asparagus Festival Board President Michele Amstutz. "There's chefs that are cooking up asparagus. You know, a lot of times people think, Oh, just cook, think, oh, just grill it or saute it. But there's so many other ways that you can eat asparagus.”
Festival goers will also get the chance to see where it all starts, with a tour of the Asparagus Research Farm in Hart, where Adams and his crew are working to best understand a crop that grows fast.
"Having this festival to help promote asparagus, especially at the end of our season, is really meaningful."
“In perfect conditions, asparagus can grow up to an inch an hour," Adams told me. "So if you let it get out of control and get behind it, you're gonna have to start thinking about mowing a field. And if you mow a field now, you're out of harvest for three days, so you can't do that either. So that's money that you're losing by mowing.”
Potentially big money. According to the Michigan Ag Council, the five-year average annual value of Michigan’s asparagus crop is around 28 million dollars, and in 2023, over 29 million pounds of asparagus were produced in the Great Lakes State.
"It's incredibly it's incredibly good," said Adams. "It's nutritional. It's fresh, you know, for us to have this fresh vegetable that's grown right in our backyards, you know, to walk into Meijer, Aldi, Walmart, wherever, and have something that was grown, you know, right down the road, and have it on your table, you know, four days later is, you know, something you can't get anywhere else."
A West Michigan specialty that is as homegrown as it gets.
"Having this festival to help promote asparagus, especially at the end of our season, is really meaningful."
If you are interested in going to this year's National Asparagus Festival, check out the link here for more information, and the schedule of events is also below:
Friday, June 13
- 6:00-10:00 pm Kickoff Party
- 6:00 pm Beer Tent
- 7:00 pm Your Generation in Concert
- 8:30 pm Queen Crowning on Stage
Saturday, June 14
- 9:00 am Spear-It 5K Run
- 9:00 am 1:00 pm Quilt Show
- 11:00 am 5:00 pm Children's Activities
- 9:00 am 5:00 pm Arts & Crafts Show
- 9:30 am Farm Tour
- 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Hart Heritage Car Show
- 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Taste of Asparagus
- 2:00 pm Parade
Sunday, June 15
- 7:30 am Fly-inn Pancake Breakfast
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