Our Best in Season local produce is the vibrant and delicious asparagus from Jimenez Farms!
We wanted to take you out to the actual farm where these tasty vegetables grow, and present our Meet the Grower: Felipe with Jimenez Farms!
Growing some of our Valley’s best asparagus, Felipe has been cultivating the fertile fields right along Stateline Road for over 15 years.
Originally from Guatemala, Felipe has been working the soil of the Walla Walla Valley since the 1980’s. Starting his passion for farming with Locati Farms, Felipe worked with them for over 25 years before he could no longer resist his dream of growing his own produce.
He secured his land, and went all in on asparagus.
15 years later we are still adding his delicious asparagus to our Spring meals.
But how does asparagus farming work? Felipe says it all begins with a seed – sown into the soil and left to grow. After a year, Felipe and his team go back by hand and separate the young asparagus starts. They then replant these starts by hand, about a foot apart.
That asparagus can then be harvested for typically 10 to 15 years! Asparagus is a laborious vegetable to grow – all harvesting, planting, and weeding is done predominantly by hand due to the nature of the plant.
But, Felipe says, there is nothing he would rather do than work beneath the beautiful Blue Mountains and grow nourishing food right from the soil beneath our feet.
Felipe wanted us to let you in on something – the purple asparagus is something you HAVE to try. Crisper, milder, and sweeter, Felipe says the purple asparagus is a true gem. His favorite way to eat this fresh asparagus is to simply warm it up with a little butter and a little salt – we even had some raw in the field and it truly was incredible.
Your destination for nourishing food, we love to partner with our local farms to serve our incredible Walla Walla Valley.
- Andy’s Market
