Asparagus

Washington, the #2 asparagus state

Because it is harvested daily by hand, asparagus is one of the most labor-intensive crops grown in Washington. The three major asparagus-producing areas in Washington are the Yakima Valley (Yakima and Benton Counties), the Columbia Basin (Adams, Grant and Franklin Counties) and the Walla Walla Valley (Walla Walla County).

Asparagus, the number four vegetable crop in Washington (according to value of production), added $51 million to the agricultural economy in 1999. Washington produces 32% of the nation’s asparagus, ranking it the number two asparagus state. Only California produces more asparagus than Washington. Asparagus acreage has declined since the 1989 record high of 32,000 acres, to the 22,000 acres harvested in 1999. The reduction has resulted from uncertainties over the future labor supply for this labor- intensive crop and uncertainty over the future availability of necessary pest management tools. Considerable time and money is also required to bring new asparagus fields into production.

Total production in 1999 was 70.4 million pounds with yields averaging 32 cwt. (hundredweight) per acre. Washington exported $5.1 million of asparagus in 1999. Canada was the largest buyer, and Japan was second.

Information about growing asparagus can be found in the Commercial Vegetable Production Guides from Oregon State University on the web at http://www.orst.edu/Dept/NWREC/perenn.html. Production conditions in Washington are similar to Oregon.

The Washington Asparagus Commission offers information and recipes on the web at http://www.washingtonasparagus.com/.

Information on asparagus production trials conducted in western Washington is available at http://agsyst.wsu.edu/Asparagus.htm.

Washington State University publications about asparagus can be found at

http://pubs.wsu.edu/scripts/PubOrders/webListing.asp?category=271

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