FRUITLAND, Idaho — The annual Asparagus Festival held at Owyhee Produce in Fruitland gave locals the chance to buy fresh produce, try asparagus flavored ice cream and get behind-the-scenes at the produce packing line.
Festival organizers say this event is so important to show people where their food comes from.
“[It’s] a positive experience that’s educational that helps people understand where their food comes from,” said Bailey Myers, the agri-tourism and marketing director of Owyhee Produce.
Myers created the Asparagus Festival to bridge the gap between the fields and consumers.
“Local is how we survive. As farmers in this area, we can ship all we want, but if we can stay local, it’s fresher, it’s better for everyone, and the community likes it,” said Myers.
Besides bringing the public together to share delicious food, dozens of festival goers had the chance to learn about what happens after the vegetable is harvested during the packing house tour.
The asparagus spears are laid out one by one by hand, then trimmed and organized by size by a camera. They are then bundled up according to size with a rubber band that says where [they’re] from.
“And if it’s not local and you want it local, you can always find it here,” said Myers.
Junior from Nyssa brought his family on the produce packing line tour. They love the opportunity to learn and appreciate the hard work that goes into farming. They also had a chance to try different food items from the booths.
“The pizza was awesome. The ice cream, I was iffy about it. And I am still iffy about it, but my kids liked it,” said Junior.
Myers says the asparagus harvest wouldn’t be possible without H-2A visa workers, and the festival is a great opportunity to highlight their work. “The immigrant workers are how we get this food from this valley to your dinner tables. Without them, we don’t have local food.”
