BBQ’d Or Baked Asparagus Spears Are On The Way

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — Thanks to a mild winter and warm spring, asparagus harvest is off to a record early start in central Washington.

Farms in the Tri-Cities area started cutting asparagus spears as early as March 25. April 5 is considered an average start date.

Asparagus is the first crop to be harvested each spring in central Washington.

Farmers will harvest about 5,000 acres of asparagus this spring, a figure that has been holding steady in recent years.

Asparagus was worth about $13.7 million to farmers last year.