‘Tis asparagus season in Michigan

In the state that put the world on wheels, manufacturing has long been recognized as Michigan’s top industry. While tourism and agriculture tussle over which ranks as the second largest contributor to the economy, a combination of those two has been growing: Agritourism.

It makes sense since Michigan, whose farmers produce more than 300 different products, is second only to California in the variety of crops grown, and travelers enjoy getting up close to the fruits of the land. Michigan offers a bounty of experiences, from farm-to-table dining, winery trails and farm stays to U-picks, roadside stands, farm markets and food festivals.

Check out the free Michigan Farm Fun Directory for events, tours and, well, farms where you can have fun.

Whenever I’m in the Traverse City area during asparagus season, I stop for a bundle or two of the spears from the Warren Orchards: Between the Bays roadside stand on Old Mission Peninsula.

The National Asparagus Festival is June 13-15

Michigan, California and Washington are tops in the U.S. in asparagus production, and each June the Great Lakes State hosts the National Asparagus Festival to celebrate this seemingly perfect, versatile food. It is low in calories and sodium and a good source of folic acid, potassium, fiber, iron, vitamins and other healthy things. Most of Michigan’s 9,500 commercial asparagus acres are in Oceana County, along the mid-Mitten Lake Michigan shore.

That’s the setting for the Festival, June 13-15 in Hart. It features asparagus farm tours, Taste of Asparagus recipe contest, Spear-It 5K run, arts & crafts, entertainment, fun for the kids and grand parade. We attended many years ago and I still remember the asparagus pizza, the walking stalks of asparagus in the parade, and stopping at someone’s garage and paying a couple of bucks for a grocery bag chock full of fresh stalks.

Michigan’s crop pops in May and usually winds down in late June. Imported asparagus, particularly from Peru, satisfies Americans’ year-round appetite for the spears, but is a threat to the U.S.-grown crop. The 2008 documentary film Asparagus! Stalking the American Life tells the story of Michigan asparagus growers; you may be able to find it online.

Go to YouTube for the 6-minute film Asparagus! A Stalk-umentary produced in 2007 (I have a feeling the price for a bag of spears is a bit more than what it shows back then).

Asparagus guacamole is a tasty twist on the usual avocado

Learn more about the veggie from the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, which lists facts, storage tips and shares dozens of recipes—but not the asparagus guacamole I was hoping to make. I had to go elsewhere for guidance; here’s a good recipe.

The Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus is delish. I guess if you’re eating one of the most nutritious veggies you can afford to enjoy it with bacon.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

From the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
The taste of this easy-to-prepare appetizer will surprise you.

1 pound fresh Michigan asparagus
8 – 10 strips bacon

Wash and trim asparagus spears. Cut bacon strips in half crosswise. Wrap one-half strip bacon around each asparagus spear, leaving tip and end exposed. Lay on a cookie sheet with sides. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 to 20 spears