As spring unfolds, farmers jump into action to begin their busiest season.
But oftentimes, this time of year is the most financially challenging as well. After the winter season, they hire farm hands, purchase supplies and spend hours out in the fields planting seed starts and preparing for the summer growing season.
That’s where Purple Sprouting Broccoli comes in handy.
You might have seen this type of “brassica oleracea” in the grocery store this spring: its green leaves and stem surround a head of deep purple florets, which can be chopped up and sauteed in olive oil for a tasty dinner.
“It’s super delicious,” said Laurie McKenzie, a researcher for the Organic Seed Alliance. “It’s purple, which is beautiful and visually attractive, but it also has anthocyanin, a purple compound that contains antioxidants.”
What’s unique about the purple sprouting broccoli is that it is an overwintering crop, McKenzie said.
The broccoli is planted in late summer and spends months growing in the field. By the time spring rolls around, it is ready for harvest.
Not only does it provide the first spring bounty for cooks who are tired of eating winter vegetables, but it supplements cash flow for growers as they begin their busy planting season.
McKenzie is part of a team at the OSA, which has been researching the performance of purple sprouting broccoli, or PSB, in Western Washington, and specifically on the Olympic Peninsula.
The crop is not usually found in American grocery stores and markets.
“There is only one variety available of the seed on the open market,” she said.
That’s one reason OSA has been breeding new varieties of the crop, which is much more common in Europe. Breeding seeds for regional areas helps farmers produce more food for local consumers.
“We really want growers to be successful,” she said. “We support production of a crop that is well-suited for here and is unique. We’re expanding the availability of organically bred, grown and produced broccoli.”
McKenzie conducts research trials at a 4-acre piece of land at Finnriver Farm in Chimacum. She and other researchers breed new varieties of PSB to increase farmers’ success with growing the crop.
“Varieties are all genetically different and will perform differently,” McKenzie said. “We’re looking for regional adaptability, which varieties survive the winter, produce the highest yield, has disease resistance, etc.”
Trials help researchers identify the best planting window for spring harvest of the crop. Four identical plantings of seven varieties were staggered two weeks apart from late July to early September. Among the seven varieties observed, there were three maturation windows: early, mid-season and late. These trials will help growers determine ideal planting dates for each variety.
The researchers then select the plants that do best and let them go to seed together in hopes their combined genes will create an even more successful variety.
Trials have to be conducted continuously, McKenzie said. Some years, the plants aren’t successful because of weather conditions, pests or a particular issue with the soil. The only way to tell the best varieties for growing is if they are successful year after year.
OSA works with multiple farms across five counties in Western Washington to conduct PSB variety trials. In Jefferson County, several farms grow the crop, including Red Dog, Midori, Finnriver and Spring Rain.
Trials help OSA researchers make recommendations for best growing practices.
“It’s a crop that is ready to sell early in the spring before a lot of stuff is ready,” said Karen Williams, owner of Red Dog Farm. “It grows well in this climate because we have fairly mild winters.”
This fall, OSA will publish in its online resource library open-source resources on how best to grow PSB. To learn more, go to seedalliance.org.
