A review: Asparagus! Stalking the American Life

Last night I finally got to check out a movie I've been wanting to see for a LONG time. Asparagus! is a local documentary made in Oceana County, MI, all about their asparagus crop and the social and political issues surrounding the green tree-like vegetable. Being a big lover of asparagus myself, I felt really moved to find out what the movie had to say. So of course when I heard that the AADL was having a free screening of the movie in one of it's multi-purpose rooms, followed by a discussion with the film's director (Anne de Mare), I was going no matter what. Seeing the movie was a big deal to me since Asparagus! is not available on Netflix, and I've had a really difficult time of trying to track down the movie to watch. I was excited! Even if I felt like a dork going alone. Thankfully by the time I arrived, the room was already packed. Who knew that many people in Ann Arbor loved asparagus as much as I did!?The movie itself was an odd combination of funny and creepy. Creepy in that wierd 80's "wow, these people actually exist" sort of way (case in point, the old lady with the house full of asparagus kitchen stuff and CLOTHES, and the crazy singing asparagus historian). The movie was also so humorous though, capturing several scenes in which high school students ate asparagus and then all went to the lavratory to smell their urine as part of a science/genetics lesson! Overall, the 53-minute film was mostly about how the U.S War on Drugs ushered in a free trade agreement allowing Peru to grow cheap asapargus, attempting to curb cocaine production in that country. Unfortunately, Oceana county, being the self-proclaimed Asparagus Capital of the Nation, was hit pretty hard with this introduction. The film explains the heartache and difficulties that the farmers and community are facing after relying for 30 years on their magnificent“Green Gold."
The film made me sad for the farmers and community, and once again, made me want to focus so hard on eating as much local produce as I can to support them. I really see the economic harm in eating off-season asparagus from places like Peru, and from now on, I think I'm going to try really hard to only eat American grown asparagus. That means probably not eating much asparagus again until the spring, but when that time comes, I'll be ready and waiting to gorge myself on tiny trees until my heart and stomach are content.
P.S. If anyone can figure out where to buy Little Chico's pickled asparagus, I'd much appreciate the tip.