an abundant harvest!

last week we dusted off fixed the potato plow, and put it to good use! way back in May, we planted a total of 300 pounds of potatoes. (yes, you read that right!) and at the end of our season, still had about 75 pounds left to dig.

this year i got to drive the tractor. there were 3 rows to dig: almost a whole row of Superior, a white potato. there were also 2 complete rows of kennebec, a white keeper potato.

the ground was a tiny bit wet to be digging potatoes, but we dug in the opportune window between rain showers. (another variation of "make hay while the sun shines")

Dave and A rode on the back of the plow to keep an eye on things.

the rows in the lower garden are slightly longer than 100 feet. all the other rows ( we planted 8 other rows of potatos: the ill-fated blue, yukon gold, red Pontiac and another row of Superior) were dug by hand and sold; either in the CSA boxes, at the produce stand or the farmer's market.



the potato plow makes quick work of those 100 feet! the plow digs up the row, and scoops up the potatoes onto the first conveyor. the potatoes rattle along and plop down onto the second conveyor, and then gently tumble off the back: all in a nice, neat row.

we all helped pick up the potatoes, sorting as we went. all these crates are about 3/4 full of kennebec potatoes. we also got 4 crates of the superior, which we'll eat first. last year we had our own fresh potatoes until the middle of April, (we store them in the crates in the cellar) meaning that we were only on a "potato fast" from mid-April until early July, when we dug our first potatoes.

I'd say we're on track for that again this year.

and then some!