Celebrating Crops: June is for Asparagus and Strawberries
Hadley Grass
As home to some of New England’s most productive farmland, here in Hampshire County we don’t just anticipate the harvest so we can eat it—we’re eager for the celebrations that accompany its arrival!
Asparagus is one of the first crops to make a big appearance in Hampshire County. Come mid-May, there’s no shortage of roadside farm stands selling bunches of this crisp green veggie, which is particularly famous in Hampshire County. Specifically, asparagus from Hadley, Mass. is considered the best in the world, fondly called “Hadley Grass” by the locals.
This year to celebrate the bounty of asparagus in our region, local public television station WGBY57 hosts the Asparagus Festival and Gala, this weekend June 2 &3.
The festival takes place Sunday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the new Seven Sisters Market Bistro at the Long Hollow Bison Farm on Route 9 in Hadley. Enjoy a music roster curated by Northampton-based label Signature Sounds, food provided by local farms, art and craft vendors, storytelling by Tom McCabe from Paintbox Theater, Curious George, baby bison and asparagus-themed activities for the whole family.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community Festival, Free admission
12 to 2 p.m. Asparagus Luncheon prepared by local restaurants, tickets required
4:30 to 7 p.m. Beers & Spears Local Craft Beer Tasting, tickets required
The Spearit Gala is Monday, June 3 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Lord Jeffrey Inn in Amherst, and will feature a dinner created by restaurants and chefs from western New England and PBS chef Sara Moulton. Each recipe will be paired with a wine sample provided by Northampton’s State Street Wine and Spirits.
Later in the month, keep your sights set on Red Fire Farm’s annual Strawberry Soiree to celebrate the peak of picking season for these delicate red beauties. Held on June 22 at Red Fire’s farm property in Montague, enjoy the opportunity to taste 9 varieties of strawberries each with their own flavor from 2 to 5 p.m. (free). Then settle down for a magical dinner right there in the fields. The annual Strawberry Feast in the Fields features organic produce from Red Fire and other area farms with strawberries in almost every dish.
See? We really do love our produce here in Hampshire County! Stay posted right here for more celebrations and festivals featuring some our most bountiful harvests.