Plentiful supplies of Ontario asparagus are kicking off spring in farmers’ markets, roadside stands and grocery stores. 

“After a cold winter and cool spring, we were surprised to be harvesting in late April and early May,” says Charles Welsh, Welsh Bros., Scotland, Ontario. 

“Spring means the beginning of a new growing season in Ontario, which will bring with it a whole new wave of opportunities for consumers to support local food and farming businesses by buying products grown right here at home,” says Larry Davis, farmer and director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “We are so lucky that our soils and our climate let us grow and raise more than 200 different food and farm commodities in our province and we appreciate the tremendous support Ontarians are showing by choosing to buy Ontario.” 

The asparagus season is short and intense. An asparagus shoot or “spear” can grow 25 cm (10”) in a 24-hour period, so the crop needs to be cut daily, or even twice a day. Once harvested, Ontario asparagus is quickly cooled, packed and shipped to ensure the freshest produce is available daily. 

Did you know…

• -  Asparagus is a perennial plant that lives for up to 20 years and after it is first planted, it takes two to three years before it is mature enough to harvest.
•  
• -  Most of Ontario’s asparagus grows in Norfolk County and more than 90 per cent of asparagus grown in Canada is a variety called Guelph Millennium. Developed at the University of Guelph, it is adapted to cooler climates and produces higher yields than other varieties.
•  
• -  Most asparagus is green, but there are also white and purple varieties.
  • - White asparagus stays white because it's grown covered with soil, which blocks sunlight and prevents it from making chlorophyll—the chemical that makes plants green.
  • - Purple asparagus is relatively new, with a small amount grown in Ontario. Some describe the taste as slightly sweeter, or nuttier than green varieties.

Source:  Ontario Federation of Agriculture May 7, 2025 news release