Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable well-suited to Zones 3-8, with well-drained soils pH 6.2-7.0. Plant crowns in spring; harvest spears for 6-7 weeks after 3 years light harvest, full by year 5; productive 15+ years.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- April-May (2-4 weeks before last frost) – April-May (2-4 weeks before last frost)
- Harvest
- Late April - June – Late April - June
- Frost-free days
- 150+
Yield
- Typical yield
- 3,800 lbs/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 15 years
- Years to full prod.
- 5
- Labor
- 50 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
Established crop with known regional buyers
Price Trend Stable/Up
Price stable over past 3 years
Supply Below Demand
Regional supply roughly balanced with demand
Multiple Buyer Channels
Multiple market channels: wholesale, retail, processing, and/or direct
Value-Added Potential
Limited value-added processing opportunities
Market Growth Projected
Stable market outlook
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Region's hardiness zone within crop range (3.0-8.0)
GDD Sufficient
GDD data not specified; crop is documented as viable at the regional hardiness zone
Precipitation Compatible
Regional precipitation (~40 in/yr) compatible with crop needs
Frost-Free Season OK
Frost-free season (160 days) meets crop requirement (150 days)
Chill Hours Met
Chill hour requirement N/A for this crop type or met by default
Climate Trend Favorable
Climate projections remain favorable for this crop in the region
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
Standard farm equipment compatible or easily adapted
Storage Available
Cold storage needed; may require investment
Irrigation Compatible
Irrigation beneficial; existing vineyard irrigation systems adaptable
Field Layout Suitable
Vineyard field layouts suitable for this crop
Labor Availability
High labor requirements; seasonal labor availability may be challenging
Processing Proximity
No nearby specialized processing; may need direct marketing or shipping
Equipment Requirements
planting
Larger tractor needed than for small fruit because asparagus is typically grown at field scale in straight rows. Required for fern chopping and fall tillage.
Opens 6-8 inch deep furrows for setting crowns at establishment. 3-point hitch implement. Used once in a 15-20 year planting life.
Specialized planter places crowns at consistent depth and spacing. Typically rented or custom-hired for establishment — not owned for a single-use event.
irrigation
Supplemental irrigation improves establishment and fern growth in droughty seasons. Mature asparagus has deep roots and tolerates moderate drought, so irrigation is not universally required.
spraying
Tractor-mounted boom for herbicide applications pre-emergence and post-harvest, plus fungicide and insecticide sprays on ferns. Higher capacity than small fruit operations require.
cultivation
Shallow cultivation of between-row middles for weed control. Post-harvest light tillage also helps reshape ridges.
Chops and shreds 5-7 ft tall ferns after killing frost. Fern residue removal reduces Stemphylium purple-spot and asparagus beetle overwintering.
harvesting
V-notched or straight asparagus knife for cutting spears 1-2 inches below soil line. Low capital cost; hand labor dominates harvest cost (30-80% of total production cost).
Slow-moving platform with conveyor where pickers walk or lie down. Substantially improves labor productivity on 10+ acre operations. Optional at smaller scales.
post_harvest
Rapid pre-cool to 34°F using chilled water. Critical for 14-21 day shelf life. Walk-in cooler alone is inadequate because the fibrous tissue holds field heat.
Automates sorting and banding of spears into 1/2 lb or 1 lb bunches. Hand bunching common under 5 acres.
Holds harvested product at 34-36°F and 95% relative humidity until shipping. Size to 2-3 days peak harvest volume.
general
Subscription weather service or on-farm station. Spring frost during harvest requires rapid decisions to cut all marketable spears before the frost event.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage (hydrocooled)
Temperature
32–36°F
Humidity
95–100%
Max Storage
14 days
Top-ice / liquid ice
Temperature
32–34°F
Humidity
95–100%
Max Storage
21 days
Frozen (blanched)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
365 days
Finance Fit
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue ($4,200/acre) exceeds regional average
Input Costs Acceptable
Annual operating costs ($1,000/acre) within typical farm budgets
Payback Period OK
Long establishment period (5 years); extended payback
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance available
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Revenue per labor hour ($84) is competitive
Grants/Subsidies
No specific subsidy programs identified
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $1/per lb |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $4,200 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $1,000/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $7,000/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $1,000 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA RMA, regional budget studies (2025)
Risk Fit
Manageable Pest/Disease
Low pest/disease pressure; manageable with standard IPM
Market Diversified
Market access diversified across multiple channels
Low Establishment Risk
Low establishment risk; quick to establish or low upfront investment
Climate Resilient
Hardy and resilient to climate variability in the region
Regulatory Burden Low
Minimal regulatory burden for production and sale
Diversifies Portfolio
Diversifies farm revenue away from grape monoculture
Known Risks
disease
Soil-borne fungal complex that is the primary cause of asparagus decline. Infection builds over the life of the planting, reducing spear counts and eventually killing crowns.
Fungal disease producing small purple lesions on spears (downgrading fresh-market appearance) and later tan-bordered lesions on ferns. Severe fern infection reduces photosynthesis and weakens crowns.
Fungal disease producing rust-colored pustules on ferns, reducing carbohydrate storage and future spear yield. Most severe in humid, dewy conditions.
pest
Most significant asparagus insect pest. Adults feed on spears (causing browning and curvature) and lay black eggs on spears, making them unmarketable. Larvae defoliate ferns.
Secondary pest, less damaging than common asparagus beetle. Adults feed on ferns and berries; larvae feed inside berries.
Fly larvae tunnel in stem bases, possibly serving as entry points for Fusarium. Links to crown decline are documented though not fully quantified.
weather
Emerged spears are killed or deformed by temperatures below 30°F. A single hard spring frost can cost 1-2 weeks of harvest and damage already-cut tissue.
Saturated soils during the 6-8 week harvest window compact under foot and equipment traffic, damage crowns, and delay daily cutting. Wet spears also bruise more readily.
market
Domestic spring harvest compresses into 6-8 weeks and competes with year-round imports from Mexico and Peru, depressing wholesale prices.
Asparagus plantings require 3 full years before a full harvest season and do not reach peak yield until years 4-5. Cash-flow negative for the first 2-3 years.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Asparagus against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA resources, and regional research.
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie
66 tracked changes across 9 data categories