Because of the nature of asparagus, the plants are in the ground three years before the grower really begins to receive any revenue from the planting. Because of the nature of the asparagus, the crop is very labor intensive. Spears are hand-harvested every day or every other day. The workers hand select all spears that have 9 inches or more or green color on the spear, leaving the rest to be cut the next day, when they are ready for harvest. All the asparagus is hand-handled from field, through the packing lines and into crates to be shipped to your market.
Special attention is taken to insure the delicate tips remain unbroken.
The many sorters working on the various lines normally discard any spears with broken tips, scars, insect damage and spear curvature. There have been those who have tried to develop a mechanical harvester for asparagus, But none have really been successful due to the high loss of product and damage to the delicate spears. A. California produces approximately 70 to 80 percent of the domestic fresh supply in the United States with principal states of Washington and Michigan providing the balance. Washington directs a good portion of its production to processors, both freezers and canners. Other states also grow asparagus in smaller quantities.