Planting Potatoes

Okay, so I have a cold, and this is the 4^th time in two and a half months I’ve been sick, and I am getting sick of it.

 Nonetheless, this one has been relatively easy on me, and though I didn’t get a good sleep last night the sun was shining today and we planted potatoes.  Several small chores started the day, amongst them opening up the greenhouse windows and doors, uncovering the cold frames, and getting the tractor implement that makes the furrows for potatoes set up properly.  We then moved on to a rousing set of cutting up more seed potatoes, which we had started on yesterday, accompanied by some silly banter and word-association games. 

 After that we did a quick spot of thinning and transplanting, working on some flowers called bachelor blue buttons or some such thing.  In addition to all the fine produce we grow, we also have some rows of flowers that our shareholders can pick.  But this was just a quick fill of lost time, we were soon onto potato planting.

 For this the tractor runs shallow furrows into the prepared soil about three or four feet apart (I should know this), or is it five, and we follow along after, some folk dropping cut seed potato pieces into the furrows about 8 inches apart, and others pushing these down into the soil and then covering them up.  We finished four long beds before lunch.

 These are cellaring potatoes we were planting today, intended for harvest in the fall and a variety that keeps well for long periods of time in cold storage.  I should find out what that means in terms of starch content.  I think it would be high, and a good baking potato, but I’m not sure. 

 After lunch Becky, another new housemate of mine who is in her third year at the farm, and I went to the local co-op to purchase some Rubbermaid containers for compost and our washing station as well as to check out some potential hose fittings.  A nice store, I’ll check it out again sometime off of the company dime to wander around and see everything they have to offer.

 Finally, I did a quick spot of watering in the greenhouse before Jamie (my boss) gave us the go ahead to go home.  I should be resting but we’ve been playing some music here at the house, and despite the copious amounts of matter my sinuses have been producing it’s been nice to do a bit of strumming and singing (and a bit of fiddling as well). 

 But now it is starting to get late and I will be off to bed.

 Love to all.