Searching for asparagus along ditch banks as the weather warms can offer the finder a real treat, but it can also bring serious harm if not properly handled.
"I have been asked by farmers to alert the public to a very real health threat," said Jody A. Gale, Millard County USU Extension Service agent.That's also good advice for those who like to gather fresh asparagus in other counties of the state during the spring months.
"Farmers spray many ditch banks with pesticides to control weeds and insects in non-edible crops (and) this may include the asparagus," Gale said. He also praised some farmers "who go out of their way to skip patches of asparagus when applying pesticides."
The agent noted that ditches, canals and sometimes county roads are on property owned by farmers but are authorized through easements. "Asparagus is usually in such small amounts it is in the way and cannot be given special treatment as an edible crop," Gale said.
He emphasized that farmers are growing alfalfa, barley and other field crops, not asparagus.
Pesticides used along ditches are not intended for edible field crops and can be very dangerous if consumed. Gale warned that some pesticides are absorbed inside the plant and can not be washed off with water or cooked out of food.
He suggested pickers ask the farmer owning the land whether it has been sprayed and with what before picking. Also, permission to gather the plant should be obtained from the land owner.