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!

Exciting News!

SPUDS first annual potato harvest will take place on Saturday, September 27th from 1-3pm. Members are asked to bring a shovel and a large cloth bag.

As the yield isn't that large for our very first year (about 850 lbs) folks will be asked to take their portion of the harvest home (hopefully around 20-25 pounds) to store and enjoy.

Potatoes will be set aside for any member unable to make it on September 27th. Please call 335-1828 to make arrangments for pickup from Veronica, or a downtown location to be determined. Anyone who wishes to donate their share of the harvest rather than enjoy it themselves is also asked to call with that information.

Congratulations on SPUDS very first harvest to all our members...see you on the 27th!

Watering and Weeding!

(Stay tuned for a photo of SPUD's recently aquired water cistern...)

We now have a water cistern in place and Spuddites have been taking turns watering the parched field. Looks like this hot-dry spell is going to last another month! Thank goodness we bought the cistern!

Veronica is putting a roster together for the next water events.

We are asking people to work in pairs. One to weed the field covered in buckwheat
and help move the hose over the rows and the other to water. It takes 2 hours to water the entire field.

Because it's a tedious job we are asking people to water/weed for one hour.

Thursday, July 17th, - the Fire Dept. will fill ithe cistern with 2,000 gallons as a training practice on their new pumper. Thank you Fire Dept!

Call Veronica if you can do a one-hour paired water/weed session. 250-335-1828.

June 8th work bee in the Potato Patch!

Fifteen adults and two junior spudsters made it out to help with the first weeding and hilling of our inaugral potato patch, on Sunday morning, June 8th. Organic farmer Bob Parsons once again provided sage advice on techinque, in our quest to maximize yield. The plants look vigorous and healthy after all the rain. Check back for info on the next work bee party, if you weren't able to make it out today...coming soon (within the next ten days or so, give or take...) to a community potato patch near you!

above photo by John Millen

June 8th work bee!

There will be a SPUD-LICIOUS work party this Sunday, June 8th at the Hermitage from 9:30 am to 11:30am-ish.

We will be mulching, hilling, weeding, and, if the buckwheat comes in, we will be seeding as well. Please bring hoe-hoe-hoes if you have them.

Spud members, please respond as to whether you can come or not, as we will be phoning anyone we don't hear from to make sure they got the message!

Looking forward to getting dirty with everyone.
- Corinne
(inthesmog@hotmail.com)

Next SPUDS planting...

SPUDS members and others who were unable to attend our inaugral planting last Saturday, are encouraged to join in this coming Saturday, May 26th! The remainder of our available seed potato will go in the ground between 1pm and 3pm, so please bring a shovel if you have one, gloves and hat if you need 'em, and some water. Planters work together in a team.

If you are unable to pitch in, please get in touch and we'll let you know when an opportunity to pitch in on another project is forthcoming. Please see past posts below, for details about membership and involvement in SPUDS for you and/or your family!

Potatoes are IN the ground!

On Saturday, April 26th, SPUDS members and friends raised the fencing around the field, held a brief commemorative ceremony with yummy refreshments and entertainment provided by the Raging Grannies, and got planting! Our designated potato guru , organic farmer Bob Parsons, did us the honor of cutting the ribbon and leading us in the planting technique of the day.

Members who were unable to participate are invited to gather next weekend for a second planting session to get the rest of our potato seed in the ground. Check back here for time and date, which will be determined based on what works best for those yet to pitch in!

Thanks to Andrew Fyson for the wonderful photos below:


The Raging Grannies look on, as appreciations are made to the Hermitage for the potato co-op site, to Freedonia for our start-up grant, to Linnaea Farm on Cortes for long-standing inspiration, and to everyone else who has supported SPUDS along the way! Co-founding SPUDS member Peter Janes, standing in the gateway fashioned out of cedar rails from his farm, led a hard-working crew in fencing the area. Approximately one third of the prepared field will grow potatoes, on a three year rotation basis. The remainder of the field will eventually be cover cropped.



Other SPUDS co-founding members Brian , Corinne, Veronica and Fireweed (Peter missing from photo, as well as Herb Jones who was away)


Denman vegetable farmer (and organic mentor to many) Bob Parsons does us the honor of cutting the ribbon...


...and announces the SPUDS potato patch officially open for planting!

DESSERT FIRST! Organic apple cider, courtesy of East Cider Orchard, and organic chocolate cake help celebrate the occassion.

The Raging Grannies entertain SPUDS supporters with the 'potato song'...scroll up to the links column over on the right hand side of the page to enjoy the 'original' version!