Farmers report yields dropping to 2-3 boxes per acre, down from the usual 8-10, due to cooler spring weather. Manuel Imperial of Imperial's Garden warns his farm is on the brink of closure.
Despite higher asparagus prices, rising input costs, labor expenses, and tariffs are eroding profits. Some farmers have cut labor hours, and acreage has shrunk from 32,000 in 1989 to about 4,500 today.
Competition from Mexico and Peru, which have lower labor costs and year-round production, intensifies challenges. Many Washington farmers are considering selling their farms as financial losses mount and the industry contracts.
What is the hidden mental health toll of America's deepening agricultural crisis?
With asparagus prices high and farmers failing, who is profiting in the food supply chain?
As droughts worsen, is this the end for farming as we know it in the American West?
Billions in new aid are flowing to farmers. Why are they still on the brink of collapse?
Is automation the only long-term hope for saving America's hand-harvested crops?