FAQ
Organic foods are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic certification also disallows the use of genetically modified plants. To grow organic crops, the land must be “clean” (no chemicals) for three years before it can even be considered for the organic certification.
An inspector then comes out to check the site, and ensure that everything is up to standard before it becomes certified. Once the crops are certified organic, a yearly inspection is made to ensure that the proper procedures are followed. We have been growing certified organic crops since 1999.
We also ensure that all of our added ingredients also adhere to the strict organic certification standards. We are passionate about bringing you the best possible products, which is why our crops are certified organic.
Asparagus is a perennial plant, which must be planted three years before it can be harvested. It is a crop which blossoms in early spring, and is picked in May and June. There are two sections in the asparagus plant.
The crown is the roots and the base of the plant which produce the growths. The stalks are the growth that the crown produces, this is the part that is harvested. The spears are snapped when they are approximately 9 inches long.
They are then brought to our fresh production line where they are trimmed and the “seconds” are removed. From there, they are either bunched and sold to grocery stores, sold fresh here at our farm, or moved along to the pickling process.
Asparagus is just like every other vegetable: not all of the harvested crop is perfect. The asparagus spears are graded into small, medium and large diameters and any spears with defects (seconds) are removed.
We only want our customers to have the best, so the first rate spears, or “firsts”, are the only products that we sell to our distributors. The second rate asparagus spears, or “seconds” have the same taste and texture but look slightly different.
They may be slightly curved, or appear to have “seeds” on the tip of the stalks. They are still good to eat and are perfect in soup, where you can’t tell the difference. The “seconds” are only sold here at the farm, for a discounted price, so you don’t have to worry about picking them up by mistake.
