Sparrer-grass

'Hit look lak sparrer-grass, hit feel lak sparrer-grass, hit tas'e lak sparrer-grass, en I be bless ef 't aint sparrer-grass.'

-Nights With Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris





     This is Asparagus. It's a mostly considered a weed here in Owyhee County. That is not to say that its not recognized as a tasty weed, though. It grows along the ditch banks in the lowlands. In fact it thrives, especially where a diligent weed program has removed most of the competition. Asparagus has a massive root ball just under the surface that allows the plant to withstand just about anything.

     The green shoots that you may have eaten once or twice in your life are actually just the stem of the plant. If allowed to grow they will turn hard and woody and sprout branches eventually taking the form of a shrub. In the winter, the shrub dries out and will generally be burnt in an effort to keep it from blowing into a ditch somewhere.

     It's become a fairly common practice among some people to roam the countryside picking the asparagus. A couple words of caution for these folks. Firstly, when you step out of your car and off the road, you're trespassing. This is generally considered, at the very least, rude. Like the hunters that frequent the farmlands in the fall, you should get permission first. Secondly, sometimes the farmers like a bit for themselves. A little communication goes a long way. And Thirdly and possibly most importantly, asparagus is a weed, given the chance it will take over. So farmers spray it with herbicide. As I'm sure you know, eating herbicide covered plants can be unhealthy.

     As you can see in this picture, the asparagus gets ravaged time and time again. Still it continues sending out new shoots from the indestructible root ball. Time and time again it will repeat this process until people stop taking its shoots long enough for it to grow to full size and produce some seeds.

     A farm is somebody's home and workplace all in one. Respect and courtesy are good things, I think we can all agree. Treat most people with both and you can get pretty far with them. Farmers are no different.

     So, come out and visit the farmlands. See where the food and product comes from. And, if you want, pick a bit of asparagus. After asking, of course.