Asparagus harvest takes a hit: How COVID-19 is 'devastating' local crops

Fans of Ontario asparagus will see a lot less of the vitamin-rich vegetable on store shelves this spring.

Farmers in Norfolk County, where most Canadian asparagus comes from, say a labour shortage caused by COVID-19 will force them to leave as much as half their crop in the ground.

The asparagus season is going to be devastating," said Jason Ryder, who says he can only harvest 58 of the 94 acres of asparagus on his farm in Lynedoch, Ont.

It's the same story at farms across the county, said Asparagus Farmers of Ontario executive director Bernie Solymar.

Norfolk farmers normally grow 70 per cent of Ontario's asparagus on 2,600 acres.

Our best guesstimate is we're only going to be harvesting 50 per cent of the crop," Solymar said.

That could mean higher prices for consumers.

It's quite possible that asparagus will be more expensive this year," Solymar said, adding that the leaner harvest will also be a financial blow to farmers.

I think this is going to hit, in particular, smaller family operations very hard. It's just too much disruption."

Part of Ryder's operation is packing asparagus grown at other farms. He's heard from one grower who's taking the season off altogether.

He's not touching one pound off 60 acres," Ryder said. This is a major problem."

Norfolk normally brings in 4,500 offshore workers to harvest and plant crops. After the federal government initially barred them from entering the country during the pandemic, workers contracted through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program started to land in Norfolk and went into mandatory self-isolation for two weeks.

By now, Ryder usually has around 60 migrant workers from Jamaica, St. Lucia and Mexico on hand to harvest asparagus and plant other crops. So far he has 36 workers spaced out in his fields, with a few more expected in the coming days.

A recent overnight frost delayed the start of harvest, but Ryder is still worried he won't have the help he needs when the time comes to pick.

There's no switch in my field to say, OK, asparagus, I'm going to turn you off now and turn you on when I've got my manpower,'" he said.

Norfolk's health unit, led by Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, stipulated that migrant farm workers can only self-isolate with two other people during their quarantine period, even in bunkhouses that normally hold dozens of workers.

That restriction, which is unique to Norfolk, has created a space shortage and forced farmers to either look off-site for costly housing solutions or reduce their workforce.

We've got an additional hurdle here," Solymar said. When you have to put three people in a 50-man bunkhouse, it doesn't make a lot of sense."

Nesathurai said he recognizes that the three-person rule is a challenge for farmers, but he said if COVID-19 outbreaks were to occur in more densely populated bunkhouses, that could overwhelm local hospitals and put numerous workers out of commission for weeks.

It's a large increase in population and a large increase in new individuals who might potentially transmit the illness," Nesathurai said.

Food is also a public health priority, and if the workers are disqualified because they're in self-isolation, that affects the agricultural enterprise and ultimately the food that is available."

The health unit is also concerned for the welfare of the workers, who share bathrooms, kitchens and living spaces, he added.

There's a compassionate item. When there's an outbreak in the residence, we want to minimize the number of people getting sick," Nesathurai said.

Ryder has hired approximately 15 local students to help during harvest, but he said he can't count on bringing in residents who have been temporarily laid off from their jobs because they could get called back to work as their regular employers reopen.

Solymar commended the students who came forward to do labour-intensive work that is perennially a hard sell to Canadians. But he said migrant workers with years of experience aren't so easily replaced.

These are highly trained positions," Solymar said. They know the farm inside out."

Ryder said Norfolk's farm labour shortage could have a ripple effect all summer, as delays in getting offshore farm workers into the fields mean fewer acres of all fruit and vegetables are being planted.

My green onion crop is in trouble," said Ryder, who plans to only plant 86 of his usual 150 acres of onions, along with 20 fewer acres of sweet potatoes.

He says other farmers are making similar calculations and expecting smaller yields.

Everything I'm doing is two-thirds. That's all I can do," he said. And I'm only one of many."

As for when shoppers can expect to see local asparagus, which typically hits the shelves by Mother's Day, Solymar said that with colder temperatures expected to linger, Victoria Day is a better bet.

Weather dependent," he said. It's not looking good for the next couple of weeks."

J.P. Antonacci's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows him to report on stories about the regions of Haldimand and Norfolk.