Roscoe Zuckerman is a third-generation asparagus farmer. His land is smack-dab in the middle of the California Delta, inland from San Francisco. The soil in the Delta is all peat and peaty alluvium—the result of rivers and streams bringing topsoil from the mountains down to the Delta for eons—and it’s considered the richest, most productive soil in California.

On Roscoe’s farm, he’s got that amazing soil to a depth of 40 feet, and his land is surrounded by water. The asparagus plants love the soil, plentiful water, warm days, and cool ocean breezes at night that typify the Delta.

To be sure, other farmers grow asparagus in California’s Delta, but Zuckerman’s Delta asparagus is special for a couple reasons.

Roscoe harvests asparagus for just three months every year and lets the crowns—the asparagus engines that grow underground—recharge and rest for the other nine months. As a result, Zuckerman asparagus is tender and juicy.

In addition, rather than selling from a warehouse full of asparagus that’s aging while it’s waiting to be sold, Roscoe harvests especially for us, cutting to our order, so every carton arrives to our dock very fresh.

Roscoe Zuckerman sells us his green Pencil, Large, Jumbo, and purple asparagus.