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  • From: JOHN A HENDRICKSON <jhendric AT wisc.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Organically-grown Asparagus?
  • Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 07:51:35 -0500

Toni,

At a small farms conference some time ago, I heard a
farmer describe a system where he ran turkeys in his
(fenced) asparagus patch after the harvest seaon was
over. The turkeys kept down the weeds, applied
fertilizer, and ate asparagus beetles and were
readily marketed themselves.

At my farm, I inherited a small row of asparagus
that previous owners had planted on the north side
of the chicken co-op. At first I rued the person
who put the asparagus in a cool, shady spot because
it delayed emergence and reduced productivity.
Then I realized I could let my laying chickens run
in the asparagus part of the year. This has worked
quite well. After the asparagus has ferned out, I
open up this area for the chickens and the hens
scratch out all the weeds. They love this area
because the ferns provide shade and keep them
cooler. To be certified organic, all I need to do
is close this are off 120 days before the next
spring harvest. I am not sure how well this system
will work over the long term (perhaps fertility
levels will get too high? If so, I can reduce the
time they are in the asparagus patch) or if it would
work at a large scale but I am considering expanding
my one short row (for personal consumption) to a
larger patch (for marketing).

-John (southern Wisconsin)

----- Original Message -----
From: tonitime AT juno.com
Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2006 12:06 pm
Subject: [Market-farming] Organically-grown Asparagus?
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

> Greetings, the List!
> Since moving to our farm 6 years ago, we've had
great success with
> our small patch of 125 plants, prompting me to
wonder about putting in
> alot more, toward a perennial crop! It's one vegie
in this area of
> traditional variety that folk actually will buy.
We've had no pest of
> disease problems thus far. I am wondering if
anyone here grows such
> using organic methods and what do you do toward
weed control on a
> largeplanting? I do not have heavy equipt and am
pretty much a one-
> galoperation! Do you think it's doable?
> Thanks,
> Toni
> Clifty Gardens
> Red River Gorge, KY
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