Rising fuel and fertilizer costs pressure southwestern Ontario asparagus farm

Asparagus harvesting season lasts about six weeks each spring. But for grower Keith Wright, the financial pressures tied to that short window linger longer.

Wright says rising diesel fuel, fertilizer and labour costs are making it increasingly difficult to operate the sixth-generation family farm near Harrow, Ont., even as demand for Ontario-grown asparagus continues to grow.

According to Wright, his family began growing asparagus after purchasing a neighbouring farm in 1973 and absorbing its asparagus operation.

“It was economics which lured us into that operation,” he said.

Now, more than 50 years later, Wright says those economics are becoming harder to manage.

“Transportation has all gone up. It's basically an economic disaster,” Wright said.

“Either pay up or be done.”

Although U.S. tariffs have had little direct impact on the farm because its asparagus is sold within Ontario, Wright said global instability has driven up costs tied to fuel and fertilizer.

“Labour cost is going up. Our fertilizer is going up, and it has gone up because of what's going on in the world,” he said.

“Trucking it from here, Harrow to Toronto, has gone up because of diesel fuel.”

Prices for diesel and fertilizer have nearly doubled since the war involving the U.S, Iran and Israel, as the stalemate has choked vital oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Wrightland Farm operates about 10 hectares of asparagus, down from previous years, after the farm reduced acreage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because of the new rules and COVID and stuff, we reduced the acreage in half,” Wright said.

The farm harvests asparagus from late April until mid-June, producing what Wright estimates is about 90,000 kilograms annually.

“It takes a lot of hands to produce that pound of asparagus that we eat,” Wright said.

Wright said workers cost the farm roughly $20 to $21 per hour once housing and other expenses are factored in.

“You can increase the price, but increasing the price cuts back on the volume the consumers would purchase,” he said.

Still, Wright said he worries rising costs could eventually force producers to scale back.

Despite the financial pressures, Wright said direct-to-consumer sales have grown steadily in recent years.

“It's amazing how many people come in and want fresh asparagus. I never imagined that,” he said.

About half the farm's production is sold through retail, with the remainder going to wholesale buyers and local fruit stands.

“We've developed a personal relationship with a lot of the fruit stands,” he said.

Among those returning customers is James Robinson, who travelled from LaSalle to buy asparagus on Victoria Day.

“Every holiday Monday, Victoria Day, we come out here and get asparagus,” Robinson said. “We've been doing it for years.”

Robinson said he first discovered the farm while driving through the area years ago.

“I think we just drove by once and said, 'Hey, they're selling asparagus here.'”

Robinson recalls when the farm operated more traditionally, with workers cleaning and bundling asparagus inside the barn before the farm transitioned to a drive-through retail model during the pandemic.

“It used to be a production line,” Robinson said. “They had all their children in a line, workers cleaning the asparagus and putting them in bundles.”

For now, Wright said consumer support for local produce remains critical for Ontario growers.

“Buy the Ontario product when it's available, if it's available. Get rid of the imported stuff,” he said.