DE PERE, Wis. (NBC 26) — Ledgeview Gardens staff planted an entirely new asparagus plot on Thursday to give their previous plot a break after 15 years of harvests. The asparagus crowns planted today will be ready to pick in three years.
"It seems to be a favorite in the area also, we sell a lot of it every year," General Manager Darren Vollmar said.
Vollmar, his father and other staff at the pesticide- and GMO-free farm in De Pere spent the rainy day loosening seed roots and planting them in rows. Vollmar said that we're currently in the middle of the typically 10-week season for the spring vegetable.
"Usually are done by like late June is when we're going to have to be done picking," Vollmar said. "We have to allow the crowns or let them fern out to allow the sunlight and the moisture they're getting to feed the crown underneath."
The energy the ferns absorb is what helps them survive the Frozen Tundra so well. The plant goes dormant during the fall and winter, returning every spring with fresh ferns.
"You know our climate is cold. They have this dormancy season, time of dormancy, so in the fall we cut all the ferns down," Vollmar said. "So after we're done picking, the ferns grow up. They collect all the sunlight. They make the food for the roots. We cut that down at the end of the year, and then in the spring they're able to start popping up and coming out."
While Vollmar cannot scientifically draw connections between their asparagus success and the Wisconsin landscape, he said that their track record would prove the point. The Broadway and De Pere farmers markets feature multiple vendors that include asparagus in their produce selections.
"Yeah, I mean, they grow well here in Wisconsin, and we've had a number of solid years," Vollmar said.
Their old plot will be converted to horse pasture.
Ledgeview Gardens sells some asparagus to local restaurants and schools, but you can also buy directly at their farm, through their CSA program, or at the Saturday farmers market.
