Skip the Store: Wild Asparagus Is Popping Up in Minnesota

Americans do a great job eating all of the things we aren't supposed to eat...like donuts.  But when it comes to vegetables, a few of us have a really hard time getting these on our plate.  And if you've ever let a plastic container of Spring Mix rot in your fridge, you aren't alone.  According to earth.org, the average family in the United States, with 4 family members, throws away about $1,500 worth of food a year.

To make that goal of eating 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, you also have to spend quite a bit of money because fresh vegetables are NOT cheap!  There are a few reasons for that: 1) processing fresh vegetables relies on human labor, not machines; and 2) according to Vox.com, our government subsidizes crops that are necessary ingredients for junk food at greater amounts than leafy vegetable crops.

One of those green veggies that quite a few people love to devour is popping up all over Minnesota right now...and you can get it for free.  I'll tell you how below.

Did You Know That Asparagus Grows In Ditches in Minnesota?

Quite a few people know that I grew up in one of the "bigger" towns in Iowa - Fort Dodge.  Although I lived in town, we did venture out to "the country", which was like a 5 minute drive away.  As we were riding along, I could easily point it out the wild asparagus that was growing in the ditches.  And I fondly remember people wandering through those ditches picking asparagus.

Fast forward a few decades, and once again, asparagus is growing in the ditches!  Although I live in Minnesota now, I can still find asparagus in a ditch if I'm looking hard enough.  You can too!

Important Notes About Asparagus Growing in the Wild in Minnesota:

• CHEMICALS:  If something was sprayed on a plant to kill it, don't eat it.
• CUTTING TECHNIQUE: Do NOT just pull the asparagus out of the ground.  Gently move some of the dirt surrounding the asparagus away and cut about 1 centimeter down.  Watch the YouTube video below to learn why this is important.

CAUTION: Asparagus Could Cause A Little "Smell"

This might be an uncomfortable situation if you aren't used to chatting openly about bodily fluids.  Just pretend that we are bff's for the next 30 seconds...because friends talk about everything.  Even the awkward stuff...like this.

Asparagus gets a bad wrap because it has a tendency to cause pee to smell.  It doesn't last long but for some people, a little bit is too long.

What people don't normally realize is that asparagus isn't the only food that causes unusual smells in our body.  Below are a bunch of other foods and drinks that cause a temporary change in our urine.  The last one...I think it might shock you.