All of a Spuden
All of a Spuden
All of a sudden we shifted from our summer harvest to fall harvest which includes root crops, such as beets & carrots, along with tuber crops, such as potatoes. We grow six different varieties of potatoes on approximately 6 acres of farmland, varieties include russet, red, white, Yukon gold, purple, and fingerling. It’s no mistake that… Read More »
All of a sudden we shifted from our summer harvest to fall harvest which includes root crops, such as beets & carrots, along with tuber crops, such as potatoes. We grow six different varieties of potatoes on approximately 6 acres of farmland, varieties include russet, red, white, Yukon gold, purple, and fingerling. It’s no mistake that the potato has sustained many cultures throughout history, however, did you know that potatoes are also environmentally friendly food? Here’s why, potatoes produce natural pesticides and fungicides that help protect the crop, reducing the need for crop intervention, and potatoes are a very water-efficient crop. Some research and data have shown that potatoes when compared to other crops such as rice and wheat, have the lowest levels of greenhouse gasses all adding up to an eco-friendly product.
Potatoes are believed to be one of the most important food crops for human consumption, after rice and wheat, not only for their nutrient-rich content but also in part that potatoes are easy to grow and cultivate, contain most of the vitamins and minerals needed for sustenance and can be stored for long periods of time. Potatoes are vegetables in the nightshade family and may be considered one of the most beloved and well-known veggies around. Their popularity can be measured by the large number of recipes that can be found around the world.
The potato tuber grows underground with the leaves growing above ground and does the job of supplying energy to the plant. Once the leaves and vines begin to turn brown you know it is time to start harvesting potatoes. We use a potato digger to harvest our potato crops for time and labor efficiency. The machine loosens the potatoes by vibrating the soil to bring the potatoes to the surface, and into a sieve that collects the potatoes while allowing the soil and plant residue to fall back to the ground. Potatoes would be harvested in your home garden using a shovel or spading
fork to lift the tubers to the surface. Potato harvesting is a gratifying task as you anxiously anticipate the yield from your well-planted crop!
Looking to learn a few new recipes this season featuring potatoes? Check out these suggestions curated by our culinary and educational specialist, Miss Jenn. Try mashed potato quesadilla to reinvent leftover mashed potatoes, or potato kugel, which can be served as a sweet or savory dish, or how about this easy potato skin recipe.
Best wishes from our farm kitchen to yours!
