Ontario Asparagus Season Delayed by Frost

0:00Asparagus season in Ontario hit a snag last week when the first shoots at Welsh bros farms, the top grower there got wiped out by an overnight frost on their 100 acres spread in Scotland Ontario. These early spears froze solid and dropped dead in the field, delaying what could have been an early market run. Charlie Welsh, one of the farm partners, says it's all about the weather's wild swings, highs near 20 degrees Celsius some days, dipping to 10 or even freezing at night. He admits predicting harvest times makes him look like a fool without a spot on forecast, but he's eyeing around May 6th for steady supply, maybe A. Bit sooner if they get lucky. At the Ontario food terminal in Atobakoke, one of North America's biggest wholesale spots, everyone's buzzing for Mother's Day on May 10th. Buyers and retailers are pushing growers hard to stock local spears for displays, turning it into a full-on race against the clock. Right now, Marshall Cohen, a season produce buyer, calls Welsh bros the king of quality asparagus.

1:01He's grabbing strong supplies from Washington State to fill the gap, though it's not cheap and doesn't top Ontario's in his book. Farmers like the Welsh crew are holding steady, waiting for warmer nights to bring back the crop. Once it hits, that fresh Ontario goodness will dominate shelves just in time for the holiday rush. Local news, powered by AI. This is Canada News Today.