Ordinarily, parsnips are seed-sown in early spring, in a spot they will occupy for a year or more. But if your mouth is at this moment watering, it is not too late to sow a row.

Wild parsnip is 5 feet tall. It’s often confused with the nontoxic plant Queen Anne’s lace. It can be found all over Vermont: in your backyard, on the side of the road, in meadows.