One of the great rites of early Spring around Glen Lake is Asparagus.  Sure, it’s in the grocery store year ’round, but that is imported from Brazil, is fat and woody, and lacks flavor.  Local asparagus is fresh, tender, and has that wonderful woodsy character to it.  Asparagus as become so popular, the Village of Empire has adopted this treat and made it their own, complete with a festival featuring costumes and a parade.

This year, the Asparagus Festival is on Saturday, May 16.

One of the other rites is driving down M-22 south of Empire to buy asparagus at Norconk’s farm.  But this year, IT’S GONE!  The stand was apparently in the National Lakeshore, and the 25-year lease has expired.  I asked Frank, the owner of Joe’s Friendly Tavern about this, and he said that while the house on the road is now empty, the farm is not in the Park, and that the Norconks are going to harvest as usual.  The new site for retail purchase will likely be on the front porch of Gemma’s in downtown Empire.

That was a close call.