Please read to the bottom for list of what to bring, and other pertinent details.
First of all though, a head's up about this year's crop-
Inspite of our late planting date this past spring, our plants got off to a vigorous start. However there are several factors that have influenced our expected reduced yield in the field, including smaller potatoes...
1) this is the first year of our new four year crop rotation schedule and enhanced cover crop planning, so the nutrient levels depleted after SPUDS earlier plantings in the field still need more time to recover and increase.
2) the Seglinde potatoes we harvested last year were large in part because they were artificially boosted by the addition of supplements at planting time to try and compensate for decreased nutrient levels in the soil. SPUDS more recently developed Basis of Unity Statement embraces the principle of organic growing that puts the health of the soil first, rather than bypassing the soil in the quest to boost individual plants.
3) although the rains have finally found us once again, our incredibly dry summer was problematic. Inspite of the generosity of our Volunteer Fire Dept. and four cistern refills, we had more thirsty plants than we had sufficient water availability.
NOTE: It could be worth mentioning in our records that some growers on the island are linking very low fruit tree yields this year with poor pollination as a result of our cool, wet spring. We don't know if this year's SPUDS crop might have also been similarly handicapped, so this topic could use some research.
What we DO know is that we continue to have a wonderful opportunity to collectively further local knowledge about organically growing a food staple that all may share... and that cover crop TIMING for proper soil fertility maintenance is crucial!
To that end, our late potato harvest means we must get our fall legumes and red clover in the ground as soon as possible. Mike Lindsay will be chopping up and turning in this summer's cover crop for us once we have our potatoes out of the ground. So a number of members will be needed to reconvene in the field the following weekend (September 25 or 26) to accomplish our next seeding. Please let the FSC know if you can volunteer a little extra time for this important component of SPUDS field management as well when you respond by phone or email, and we'll set an exact time.
What to Bring on Saturday at 10:00 am:
-helping hands (including friends who might be inspired to become new SPUDS members!)
-spades (NOT pitchforks)
-buckets for hauling
-gloves for gently rustling up stray spuds -any strong storage bags (like large mesh onion sacks, or burlap bags)
-water bottle (and a hat if it's sunny)
-suggested $3 donation if you would like to enjoy some home made chili for lunch after the harvest!
-bowl and spoon
Fall Co-operative Meeting
For sometime in the latter half of October, a date will soon be proposed for a general meeting of the membership where FSC learning experiences and recommendations for next year, along with budget updates, member input, etc, can be shared by all.
What if it's Raining this coming Saturday?
Please check back here for an update on the morning of if you're in doubt abou the weather.
In the meantime, hope to see you soon, and please don't forget to rsvp so we know how many names to put in the chili pot, etc! 335-1209
On August 30th, Bill, Ron S, Fireweed, Mike, Ron D, and Herb arrived in the field to weed. Susan Marie and her son had gotten out to the patch a few days earlier and taken care of the vast majority! So we spent less than an hour attending to the rest of the field, and then rolling up the drip lines that we would no longer be needing since no more cistern refills are scheduled for this year's crop.
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