LUDINGTON (Michigan) DAILY NEWS

April 21, 2006

Asparagus near ready for picking

Migrant workers not yet here to help

By BRIAN MULHERIN

Daily News Staff Writer

RIVERTON TWP. — Asparagus season is here — or it soon will be.

But not many pickers have returned to the area yet, putting fresh-market farmers in a tough position, and keeping local asparagus from store shelves for a little while longer.

The season — from late April/early May through mid-June — is about on schedule. The issue for some right now is just when to have migrant workers come north to begin picking.

“You hate to have them come and sit for a week or two,” said grower Bill Schwass. He noted that frost is still possible for the next few weeks.

“We don’t figure on picking until the middle of next week,” Schwass said. “When you see those first spears, it doesn’t pay to go out and get those because you never get enough.”

Pete Christensen of Riverton Township placed an ad for pickers in the Ludington Daily News on Thursday because his asparagus is just days away from being ready. Several stalks stretched up to eight or 10 inches high on his farm Thursday.

“I could be picking by Saturday,” he said.

Christensen said he believes many farmers are facing similar issues.

“I know a lot of growers in Oceana County having problems getting pickers,” Christensen said.

Harriet Shafer of Eden Township said the farm her sons John and Jim run has a full complement of workers returning and her family is working to prepare guest housing.

But between the Ludington Daily News and Oceana’s Herald-Journal, five farms are advertising for asparagus pickers.

“If guys don’t have any guest workers, we’re really going to be in trouble,” Christensen said, referring to the debate in Washington, D.C., on immigration.

Schwass said part of the problem fresh market farmers and asparagus-only farmers face is that they’re not diversified, so they can’t offer workers a long enough season for those workers can qualify for unemployment.

Schwass said although most field workers are in town yet, that’s par for the course, because the processors don’t have workers yet, either. He said he’ll keep his fields level mechanically — with a mower.

The workers will arrive eventually, Schwass said, but there are other problems on the horizon. He said two loads of fertilizer cost him $6,000. On top of that, he didn’t buy his gas for the season in advance as he’s done in the past because the prices were too high. Now he’ll be paying what the market demands all season.

The price being offered by major processors is up to 59 cents a pound from last year’s beginning-of-season price of 45 cents, and Schwass predicted that it could be higher quickly.

“If we get an early frost, we’ll see 60-cent asparagus within two or three weeks,” he said.