Washington's Asparagus

  • Our Asparagus

    WA asparagus is produced on approximately 7,000 acres in the Columbia Basin, the Yakima Valley and the Walla Walla area.

    About 22 million pounds of asparagus are produced each year, bringing close to 28 million dollars to the state's economy.

    Washington asparagus is shipped to virtually every state nationwide and is also marketed through Europe and Asia.

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  • The Commission

    Creation of the Washington Asparagus Commission was approved by referendum vote of growers in March 1991. Commission activities are funded by an assessment of one percent of the gross receipt at the first point of sale of asparagus. That assessment became effective April 1, 1991.

    The commission is charged with the tasks of monitoring trade issues, promoting asparagus both domestically and in foreign markets, and pursuing research which will benefit the asparagus industry.


  • Asparagus Nutrition

    Asparagus is an excellent source of folic acid and is a fairly significant source of vitamin C, thiamin, and vitamin B6. More »

  • Meet the Growers

    There are approximately 100 asparagus growers in the state of Washington and, like everyone involved in the agriculture industry, they face many challenges in the future.More »

  • Asparagus Recipes and Tips

    Buy firm, straight, uniformly sized spears with closed, compact tips. The stalks should be crisp, not wilted.More »


Asparagus season starting in Tri-Cities

The blunt tips of asparagus spears shoot through the dirt, transforming from pale white underground to purple and then green.

Asparagus heads were beginning to emerge Wednesday from farmer Jim Middleton's fields near Ringold Road in Franklin County.

Middleton expected workers to cut the early spears today as Midd Farms nears commercial harvest in the next week.


"You can't coax it out of the ground," he said. "It's going to come when it comes."

Asparagus farms just north of Pasco and in Burbank are starting commercial harvest this week, while farms farther north, where it has been cooler, are a few days behind, said Alan Schreiber, executive director of the Washington Asparagus Commission.

The temperature has to hit 52 degrees before asparagus will come out of the ground, he said

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Asparagus Harvest Begins

With rising temperatures, the asparagus harvest is beginning this week in Eastern Washington fields.

The executive director of the Washington Asparagus Commission, Alan Schreiber, says the temperature has to hit 52 degrees before asparagus will come out of the ground. The harvest should be in full swing by the end of the month.

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