•
VEGETABLE TRENDS
•
THE
VEGETABLE
FARMER •
FEBRUARY 2017
their meals andwhere vegetables
in particular, can take the upper
hand.
Purple vegetables
But aubergine isn’t on its own
in experiencing a change of
fortune. In their predictions for
2017Whole Foods’ experts and
buyers revealed that purple food
in general has seen a significant
rise in interest. And not because
it’s a pretty colour - because of
the nutrient density and
antioxidants the colour represents.
Purple cauliflower, purple sweet
potatoes and purple asparagus
are all predicted to see a
particularly profitable 12months.
One grower who hopes at least
the latter is true, is Caroline
Holland, partner at R T Lee & Son.
A father and daughter partnership
with 30 years’ experience of
growing asparagus
on the National
Trust Dudmaston
Estate in
Shropshire, they
began producing
purple asparagus in
2007.
“It was a very
new idea in the UK
andwe always like
to be at the
forefront of
developments
within the
industry,” Caroline
said. “We only
planted a small
acreage in the first
year but it was
clear from
customer interest
that we needed to increase our
acreage and decided to expand it
the following year.”
She says that part of the reason
for its popularity is that it is
naturally sweeter than the green
variety. It was developed as a
salad vegetable and should ideally
be eaten raw so as not to lose
colour during cooking.
“Its colour comes from the high
levels of anthocyanins in the
spears,” she explained.
“Anthocyanins are potent
antioxidant flavonoids that are
believed to have protective and
preventative health benefits,
including anti-inflammatory and
anti-cancer properties.
“Purple asparagus is derived
from the same cultivar as the
green varieties and is therefore
very similar in its physical
appearance, however it is
generally less fibrous and is
thereforemore tender than the
green,” she says. However, she
admits that trends such as the
increased demand for purple
vegetables can sometimes be
difficult to fulfil.
“In short term crops I’m sure
that these sorts of trends are
hugely beneficial to some
growers; however in a crop like
asparagus you always have to be
one step ahead of the trend,” she
said. “With a three year time span
from seed to a harvestable crop, it
is very difficult to suddenly start
producing a commercial crop to
meet consumer demand.
“Purple asparagus is also
significantly more expensive for us
to produce with seed costs being
around twice that of green
asparagus and yields beingmuch
lower, all compounded by the
shorter crop lifespan of about one
third!”
Using social media
If you eat something healthy
and don’t post about it on social
media, did it ever really happen?
The trend for taking pictures of
meals and posting them on
Instagrammight seem a touch
ridiculous, but the power it holds
should not be underestimated.
Waitrose refers to the food on
our plates as ‘social currency’ and
reveals that in the past month
alone, one in five Britons (or nine
million adults) has posted a
picture of their food on social
media.
10
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+44 (0) 1472371547
R.C, Rothwell,Market Rasen,
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+44 (0) 1472371531
HazeraSeedsUKLtd, J.N.
Lincolnshire, UK. LN76D
Hazera in theUK:
Caroline Holland, partner at R T Lee & Son, grows
asparagus together with her father in Shropshire.
