Ginger is native to the tropics. But that doesn't mean we can't grow it on the Cape. Two years ago, Coonamessett Farm Manager Stan Ingram read an article about a farmer in Maine growing ginger, and this year he decided to try it. This week on the Local Food Report, Elspeth talks with Stan about the challenges of growing ginger in our cold climate. The finished crop tastes similar to mature ginger, but looks quite different.
If you're interested in reading more about ginger farms in New England, here are two links. This links to the website of a ginger farm in Amherst, Massachusetts, and here's the article Stan read about farmers experimenting with growing ginger in greenhouses in Maine.
You can see more pictures of the ginger plants at Coonamessett Farm on Elspeth's blog, Diary of a Locavore.
This piece is a rebroadcast. It originally aired Jan. 15, 2014.