What Enterprise is Sustainable for Me?
Asparagus
To evaluate how well this enterprise aligns with your farm's agronomic, marketing, financial and management resources, answer these five questions. Then, calculate your score.
Using a scale from 0 to 100, scores indicate your farm's likely success with an enterprise.
The icons link to resources you can use to answer these questions.
QUESTIONS
HELP ME ANSWER THIS
1. Choosing an inadequate site may shorten asparagus stand life and weaken yield potential. Preferably, a site will have full sun and deep, well-drained soil that has a pH level ranging from 6.5 to 7.0, and it will lack a high water table. Additionally, the site should be free of rocks and offer good air drainage. Do you have a site with such characteristics?
Yes
No
No
2. To maintain asparagus stand health, producers are encouraged to avoid a full-season harvest until the crop reaches maturity, yet establishment costs can be significant. Can your operation fund the establishment costs yet wait several years before harvesting a full crop?
Yes
No
No
3. During the harvest season, do you have adequate access to labor that you could manage to snap or cut asparagus by hand?
Yes
No
No
4. Asparagus doesn’t compete well with weeds. To minimize weed pressure, are you willing to invest in weed control practices before planting and after planting?
Yes
No
No
5. After harvest concludes, supporting healthy fern development is important to encourage high yields in the next year. Post-harvest, are you willing to continue maintaining asparagus fields to support sufficient healthy fern growth by ensuring adequate moisture, applying fertilizers and controlling pests and weeds?
Yes
No
No
Your ResultsX
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Respond to the questions for an enterprise. Each question touches on a key factor that affects an enterprise's sustainability on your farm.2 of 3
Icons to the side of questions direct to other decision tools that share detailed information about a question's topic.3 of 3
After completing all questions for an enterprise, calculate your score. A pop-up page will share your results. Scores closer to 100 suggest the enterprise would align well with your farm. Scores closer to 0 suggest the enterprise would not fit as well, based on your responses to the questions.