Early start to the season

Competition for the wild garlic

The first asparagus has already arrived at Rudolf Mühlberghuber's, but there's just enough to taste at Easter.(Bild: Einöder Horst)

This year, the vegetation in Upper Austria is two to three weeks ahead of schedule. This also affects the food on offer in the restaurants. The asparagus arrived on the plate almost too early. There are enough harvest helpers, even if there are no Ukrainian men.

"There's just enough asparagus for us at Easter. But we're not angry at all," says Rudolf Mühlberghuber from Ansfelden, looking back on the early start to the season. There should be enough "spears" for sale in the week after Easter. "At the moment, the landlords still have wild garlic on the menu anyway, otherwise it would have been nothing anyway. So the wild garlic will be followed seamlessly by asparagus," jokes the farmer, who is already looking to the future: "If it starts so soon, then we'll probably stop earlier too." The early start to the harvest also helps the 20 or so asparagus farmers in Upper Austria to defend themselves against imported produce that is already being brought onto the market.

Strawberries are already sprouting
The situation is similar for the 70 or so strawberry farmers in our province: Their spokesman Andreas Hoffelner from Kremsmünster expects the first deliveries at the end of April, beginning of May, "but the fields for self-picking will open later".

Andreas Hoffelner expects a good season for strawberries.(Bild: Einöder Horst)

It shouldn't get too cold
Given the current temperatures, it's hard to believe, but "Father Frost" can still ruin these plans. "Minus two degrees is enough, the asparagus can't withstand that," says Rudolf Mühlberghuber, and in the case of strawberries, it is the flowering, which is expected soon for the early varieties, that is at risk at temperatures below freezing. And without blossom, there are no berries.

No shortage of labor
On the other hand, a sword of Damocles has been defused this year: "There are enough harvest helpers," says Stefan Hamedinger, vegetable growing expert at the Upper Austrian Chamber of Agriculture. "There are a lot of women from Ukraine in particular, but there is a huge shortage of men, especially for work that requires a lot of strength." The problem is that in Germany and South Tyrol, non-wage labor costs for seasonal workers have been suspended or greatly reduced: "We are in direct competition with the large retail groups, so our produce is more expensive."

Kommentar

Selber schuld, wenn’s nicht mundet

It's our own fault! I feel the same way every year: the joy of the first strawberries and the first asparagus on the shelf tempts me to buy them. Then comes the disappointment: it tastes like nothing. It's also from somewhere and has already traveled halfway around the world.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, Alexander Schwarzl, Markus Wenzel)

So take it by the nose! Seasonal produce is not called that for nothing and tastes best when it grows here. Then it's fresh and from the field around the corner. It is well known that anticipation is the greatest joy, so why let it be watered down in the truest culinary sense. So it's better to eat wild garlic again, because its season is almost over.