LABOR DAY POTATO HARVEST ON WOOD PRAIRIE FAMILY FARM. The heavy rain that today has been quenching droughthy coastal Maine and eastern Massachusetts has just delivered some clouds here in Northern Maine and zero precipitation.
Earlier today we finished picking the last of our Organic Certified Seed Potato Fingerings, the variety Russian Banana (https://www.woodprairie.com/product/organic-certified-russian-banana-seed-potatoes/). ‘Banana’ is a Century Heirloom with diminutive tubers. We have been growing this popular variety as Organic Certified Seed for over 30 years.
Here, in a shot looking west and taken from beside the Oliver tractor which is pulling our old-timer 1950s John Deere 30 Potato Digger is our crew “hand picking” potatoes.
Caleb’s brother-in-law Rob is on the green wagon pouring full buckets of Russian Banana into awaiting hardwood pallet boxes. With today being a school holiday, two of Rob’s sons, RJay (in shorts) and Micah are helping us pick. At right, Justin is kneeling. To his left, Kenyon is stooping.
In the gaggle up front, Caleb (straw hat) and beside him, his sister, Amy (both kneeling) and Cassidy (bending over).
There are two thickets of annual Beneficial Flowers: one to the left of the wagon and another to the right of the ‘pickers.’ Now, late season, Bright Organic Sunflowers and colorful Organic Cosmos (https://www.woodprairie.com/product/flower-seed-organic-seashells-cosmos/) dominate the scene and are loaded up with buzzing Honey Bees, Bumble Bees and other less well-known but appreciated Beneficial Insects.
Next, it’s onto digging the rest of our non-Fingerling crop with our Finnish ‘Juko’ (pronounced “Yuko) Potato Harvester. Caleb, Megan & Jim
