Thanks for the pics - it does in fact look like he's using the 'mother stalk' method, and that seems to be some serious irrigation. I wonder why he's set the pipes that high.

Some more info:

"The ancient Greeks and Romans used it for medicinal purposes; the Greeks believed it was a cure-all for nearly every ailment. In France in the 1600s, King Louis XIV ordered greenhouses built for it to suit his lover’s belief that it improved his prowess behind closed doors."

Read more: http://www.grit.com/garden/vegetables/how-to-grow-asparagus.aspx#ixzz1uEi0evMR

Packed with minerals and vitamins, asparagus is high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. It is also a rich source of folic acid which is important in blood cell formation, and the prevention of liver disease and some birth defects. The National Cancer Institute found asparagus to be the no. 1 food source of glutathione, a potent cancer-fighting agent.