Ramps

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#33CCFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B>Seven  Creeks  Roadside  Spring Water</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seven Creeks Roadside Spring Water"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id824.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual"><B><IMG SRC="0720e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>  </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>    </B><A HREF="id812.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deer"><B><IMG SRC="0710e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id810.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mallards"><B><IMG SRC="0730e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=450 BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Ramps grow from early spring to late May, and are dormant the remainder of the year. The bulb is like that of  green onions, however, they are very strong flavored, more so than garlic.</div> <div> The following additional information was excerpted from </div> <div> CULTIVATION OF RAMPS <A HREF="http://fletcher.ces.state.nc.us/staff/jmdavis/ramp.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://fletcher.ces.state.nc.us/staff/jm">http://fletcher.ces.state.nc.us/staff/jmdavis/ramp.html</A></div> <div> Jackie Greenfield, Agricultural Research Technician and</div> <div> Jeanine M. Davis, Extension Horticultural Specialist </div> <div> Jeanine_Davis@ncsu.edu</div> <div> Department of Horticultural Science North Carolina State University</div> <bR> <div> Ramps, Allium tricoccum or Allium tricoccum, var. burdickii, also known as wild leeks, are native to the eastern North American mountains. They can be found growing in patches in rich, moist, deciduous forests and bottoms from as far north as Canada, west to Missouri and Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. In early spring, ramps send up smooth, broad, lily-of-the-valley-like leaves that disappear by summer before the white flowers appear. The bulbs have the pleasant taste of sweet spring onions with a strong garlic-like aroma. </div> <div> As one of the first plants to emerge in the spring, ramps were traditionally consumed as the season's first "greens". They were considered a tonic because they provided necessary vitamins and minerals following long winter months without any fresh vegetables. Traditions evolved around the annual gathering and preparation of this pungent plant. Throughout the mountains of the eastern U.S., including many western North Carolina counties, annual spring ramps festivals are held. These festivals have become major tourist attractions and are actively promoted by the communities in which they are held. The tremendous volume of ramps consumed at these festivals are gathered from the forests. In many areas, the annual intensive harvesting is seriously damaging the wild populations of ramps. Studies in Canada and Ohio demonstrated that ramps are very sensitive to how they are harvested. Years ago, gatherers would only take a small number of bulbs from a population. Now the demand for ramps is so great, the entire population is often harvested.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=398 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#111111" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <I>Ramps</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1c90cf9b0.jpg" border=0 width="207" height="155" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> </tr></table></body>