At FairGrow, just outside Yerevan, the first artichokes of the year are nearly ready. They have grown slowly through the spring, on volcanic soil at the foot of the mountains, with cold nights and bright days. The flavour is what you would expect from that kind of patience: tight green hearts, a clean nutty taste, almost no waste in the kitchen.

We grow for restaurants. Not in industrial volumes, but in carefully timed batches, so chefs in Yerevan can have a fresh-picked Armenian artichoke on the plate the same day it leaves the field.

How we grow them

Our artichokes are an Italian green-globe variety, chosen for the size and tenderness Italian cooking calls for. The plants are spaced wide, watered by drip, and fed only with composted material from our own garden. No forced growth. No accelerated cycles.

Because the harvest follows the weather rather than the calendar, we work in waves: a first wave in late spring, then a steady rhythm through early summer until the heat sets in. This is the season when an artichoke is at its best.

The care we take with each head

Every artichoke we deliver passes through three pairs of hands.

• Cut at dawn. We harvest before the sun is high, when the heads are firm and cold from the night. A quick stem-cut keeps the flower closed and the leaves crisp.
• Cooled within the hour. Heads go straight into shaded crates, then into a cool room. We never let a freshly cut artichoke sit in the sun.
• Sorted and packed by hand. We grade by size and tightness of the head. What goes to a restaurant kitchen is the size you want for the dish you have in mind, not whatever came out of the field.

For chefs that ask, we trim and pre-prepare hearts in our own kitchen on the morning of delivery. This is part of why we work in small volumes: it lets us do the slow work that a busy service cannot.

What’s coming, and when

The first crates leave the field in mid to late May 2026. From there we expect a steady supply for around four to six weeks, with a second smaller wave in early autumn.

If you want to plan a menu around fresh artichokes, antipasti, risotto, fritti, or simply braised with lemon and oil, this is the moment to reserve. We work with a small list of restaurants in Yerevan and accept orders for the season ahead.

Working with restaurants

• Direct delivery in Yerevan. Same-day, in our own crates, by arrangement.
• Pre-orders for the season. Tell us what volume and what size you need; we hold it for you.
• Trimmed hearts on request. Prepared the morning of delivery.
• Tasting visits welcome. We are happy to host chefs at the garden once the harvest begins.