Now that temperatures are warming up in the heart of artichoke country, supply is looking pretty good, even after small affects of heavy rainfall. Pezzini Farms in Castroville, California grows heirloom artichokes, which are perennial. They stay in the ground year after year, which can make the roots susceptible to mice and gophers, “but it’s looking like a decent harvest now that it’s warming up,” said Sean Pezzini. Produce will be available for shipping until the end of April.
Labor-intensive crop
Prices are good right now, which is the beginning of the spring harvest. There are a lot of artichokes on the market, but Pezzini feels that since they are one of the few farms supplying heirlooms rather than the annual varieties they’ll be able to retain a more premium price. They sell fresh artichokes as well as artichoke dips, pestos and hearts at the onsite retail store and also ship to markets within the state and some restaurants. “We try to push as much as we can out of there to get the retail price and if we have enough we supply a couple of local produce stores in Monterey and smaller produce stores in the area. It’s a very labor intensive crop because it’s a all by hand.”
Education needed
Pezzini sees more and more people enjoying artichokes, including different cultures, and younger consumers but there’s still some education needed on the difference between perennial and annual. “They should try the heirloom variety,” he said. “I think there’s a huge difference in the flavor and the amount of meat in it."
For more information:
Sean Pezzini
Pezzini Farms
Tel: 831-757-7434