By Danélle Cutting

For the Salisbury Post

Broccoli has been known as a superfood for quite some time and has been a treasure at our local farmers’ markets.

Two years ago, several Extension Agents and farmers decided that it was time to perform some variety trials to see what would be the best broccoli for our area.

After two years of trials, it looks like our second broccoli trial is finally coming to an end. We would love to help educate everyone about what we have learned in the past two years.

The Best Broccoli Trial Workshop will be held on Friday the 13^th (next week) from 10 a.m. to noon at the Piedmont Research Station (8350 Sherrills Ford Road). If you are a gardener, grower, or just someone who is interested about the broccoli trial, you are invited.

At the workshop, you will get to see how the broccoli is grown, the good, the bad, and the ugly side of creating a broccoli trial, and get to taste some fresh and delicious broccoli. Agents will discuss pests, plant health, variety differences, and recommendations for getting the best broccoli.

Last year was a success, and this year seems to be another one for the books. We had four varieties tested, and the results show some interesting trends about the broccoli that we trialed for this spring.

If you want to learn about the best varieties to grow in the Piedmont, this workshop is for you. There is no fee to attend the program, but we are requesting that everyone register before Thursday, May 12, to make sure that we have enough seating.

We will have the majority of the program outdoors, so prepare accordingly. If we have rain, we will move inside the station.

If you would like more information on growing your own broccoli or attending the Broccoli Workshop, please call your local agent, Danélle Cutting, or the Extension Office at 704-216-8970.