Economic investment, community resilience, save 10th annual Empire Asparagus Festival

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor

Years ago, when Paul Skinner traveled around Michigan to acquire antiques for his Empire-based business Miser’s Hoard, he was routinely asked, “Where in the world is Empire?” But now, as the annual third-weekend-in-May festival celebrates its tenth birthday, Empire is known far and wide for its eclectic celebration of the green stalk. In fact, four years ago MSN.com named the Empire Asparagus Festival among “the World’s Weirdest Festivals” along with South Korea’s Boryeong Mud Festival and Thailand’s Monkey Buffet Festival.

As per usual, this year’s Asparagus Festival kicks off at 7 p.m. tonight with a Dance and Pig Roast supplied by Art’s Tavern. The Benzie Playboys will keep your feet stompin’ and your body swingin’ on Front Street. Click here for a full schedule of Asparagus Festival events. Saturday features the 5K Kick Ass-paragus Fun Run/Walk at 10 a.m., the Asparagus Recipe Contest Asparagas Cook-Off at 11, the “The Ode to Asparagus” Asparagus Poetry competition at 2 p.m. and the Asparagus Parade at 4 p.m. During the parade, enjoy Asparagus Eats/Wine and Beer Tasting under the Big Tent — this year on the corner of Front Street & M-22. The Festival concludes on Sunday with the Empire Eagles’ Famous Breakfast from 8 a.m.-noon.

This year’s Asparagus Festival had to overcome a gigantic hurdle though. Last weekend’s cold spell wiped out much of the asparagus harvest at Norconk Farm south of town and also decimated asparagus in Oceana County, Michigan. Harry Norconk confirmed that Sunday night’s frost killed all asparagus stalks that were already above ground, and perhaps affected some of the crops still in the soil. Norconk typically sells 500-1,000 pounds of asparagus to stores and vendors that supply the Asparagus Festival, and his wife Barb usually brings 200 pounds of fresh asparagus to sell. His crop is already recovering, but the recent cold spell may have wiped out 15 percent of his total crop for the year. He warns Festival attendees who often visit Norconk Farm after leaving the festivities in Empire that this year they won’t find much to buy from him.

To the rescue came Cherry Capitol Foods, the Traverse City-based regional food distributor that gets its asparagus from Gross Nickle Farm and Lutz Farm in Kaleva, Mich. On Monday at 11:24 a.m., following the previous night’s frost, Skinner emailed Cherry Capitol Foods founder JT Hoagland with this dire note: “Just informed by Norconks that they lost their entire crop last night, so we at the Empire Asparagus Festival would appreciate any assistance you can give our vendors.”

Cherry Capitol Foods may have saved the Empire Asparagus Festival, Skinner told the Glen Arbor Sun. The company shipped over 500 pounds to Festival participants and vendors, including 240 pounds to Art’s Tavern and 30 pounds to the Good Harbor Grill in Glen Arbor.

“CCF is growing, and as we continue to grow, we’ll be able to stand by to help,” said Hoagland. “We did not donate product, but by being able to act quickly, hopefully we saved the day.”

Hoagland is also the former chairman of the Leelanau County Economic Development Corporation, which was all but shown the door earlier this spring by the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners, who ostensibly now oppose outside investment and sustainable growth and development in the area. Look for a series on the benefits of community investment later this summer in the Glen Arbor Sun.

According to Skinner, the Asparagus Festival, itself, is an example of a solid collaborative economic investment that has paid dividends for Empire. He estimates that the otherwise quiet town, over a three-day period in May, brings in nearly $100,000 for the local economy. Even non-food shops, such as the Secret Garden, making a killing on the Asparagus Festival. Their best day of the year, said Skinner, is usually the Saturday of Asparagus Festival weekend.

“One reason for economic investment in Empire is to grow the shoulder seasons, as a village and as a community,” said Skinner, “so our tourism season isn’t just July and August.”