More about asparagus..

It seems that I shared some similiar excitement with Kingsolver in seeing asparagus being grown. I have always loved the taste of it but had never known what it looked like in the ground. Also when I tasted it, it made me think of the part of our readings that discussed how people dont really know the wide variety of flavors that can be found in natural foods due to GM seeds. I had never had truly fresh asparagus and there was definitely a difference in taste. I found out that back in the 1920's Charleston used to be a hub for asparagus. We had our own variety named Palmetto asparagus. Im not sure what caused it to disappear but one can imagine the difficulties that can arise in having a crop that takes 2-3 years for the seed to develop into a crown. But once it does take hold, an average crop can last about 12 years. In the late 90's a few local farms (including Ambrose) re-introduced this once local crop. Asparagus is ready to be picked about the same time the azaleas bloom and when all the pine pollen covers everything in yellow-the end of the season for asparagus is around Mothers Day when plants are allowed to "fern" out. Im really glad there is a renewed interest in our local farms and hope that everybody will ahve the opportunity to taste the difference.