Thursday, October 2, 2008

800 Pounds in 2008!

photo by Andrew Fyson

A beautiful day, a bevy of enthusiastic SPUDSters, and voila... 800 pounds of beautiful potatoes unearthed on SPUD's first annual harvest, Saturday, September 27th, 2008! Everyone's hard work pitching in to help prep the field, build the fence, install the water cistern, water, weed and sing over the crops obviously paid off! Congratulations to all SPUDS members, and everyone who had a hand in seeing this fabulous project come to fruition.

Unfortunately, the school kids patch at the front of the Hermitage grounds ran out of water during the long drought before the fifty or sixty originally healthy potato plants in that area had a chance to form fruit underground. Maybe next year the kids can participate inside the larger Co-op's fenced-in area and enjoy the benefits of the cistern when SPUD members are watering the larger community crop (an idea to be negotiated, at any rate!)

You'll find a plethora of great recipe ideas for cooking with potatoes in the Links column on your right, and also access to detailed information on how to store potatoes for maximum longevity. For example, it is recommended that freshly harvested potatoes be left them out in the sun for a few hours to dry off and allow the skin to harden a little. Before storing, brush off any excess soil and check for damage. While your storage area should be cool, the most important thing is to exclude light! (please click on Links for additional details)

Bon appetit everyone!