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Asparagus’s folate benefits spotlighted by 50th Asparagus Queen

The 2025 Asparagus Queen says she hopes to educate more women about the vegetable’s folate benefits.

Shelby Purdy tells Brownfield the nutrient, found naturally in asparagus, helps reduce the risk of birth defects.

“Within the first trimester or before you become pregnant, if you want to get pregnant, eat your asparagus, and it will help you significantly,” she encourages. “You’re raising your chances like 30 percent.”

She says advocating for the nutrition benefits has a deeper meaning after losing a child to neural tube defects.

Purdy says she’s impressed by the dedication of farmers and farmworkers who often pick the crop around the clock to meet fresh market demands.

“You’ve got to get out there and get it picked while it’s here or you’re not going to get it, you can’t just put it off until tomorrow,” she says.

Michigan asparagus acres have more than halved since Mrs. Asparagus was first awarded 50 years ago at the National Asparagus Festival in West Michigan. The crown was rebranded as the Asparagus Queen in 2013.

Brownfield interviewed Purdy during the recent Great Lakes Expo.