Almost two weeks after the first harvest, the asparagus season officially opened in Kutzleben in the Unstrut-Hainich district. The Unstrut-Hainich district with the cultivation companies in Kutzleben and Herbsleben is Thuringia’s best-known asparagus region.
At the start of the season, the new asparagus queen was crowned in the afternoon. The 21 year old Magdalena Schieck is the 21st asparagus queen.
Most important outdoor vegetables in Thuringia
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, with around 306 hectares, asparagus is the most important outdoor vegetable in the Free State. It takes up 52 percent of the area under cultivation of outdoor vegetables. This makes Thuringia one of the rather small growing areas in Germany.
There are a total of 17 asparagus producers, two of which are said to work according to ecological organic criteria. Over 1,500 tons of asparagus are produced in Thuringia.
Mild weather ensures an early start to the season
In large parts of Thuringia, the asparagus harvest began at the beginning of April, two weeks earlier than usual – the start would normally be in mid-April, it was said. The reason was the mild winter.
According to asparagus farmers, prices should remain at around the same level as last year. Traditionally, the harvest runs until June 24th, St. John’s Day.