Any of you really get into potatoes

I sat down earlier this morning with the wind blowing, interstate closed, and thought we need some pictures of something different, not sure how many do potatoes and dig them with a potato digger.

Here in my picture, ("SC" was pulling the digger) I was digging my Yukon golds, your saying what is this guy doing with all these potatoes, as I had almost 2 more rows of Pontiacs (Reds). I give of course to my family, then comes people that maybe will never get a dry land potato (much more flavor then a irrigated) One person I took a 30lb sack too was burned badly last spring, and his back on his feet and a Vet.

I actually ordered 30lb bags from a company out east, and it made my job much easier.
This potato project got me off my butt and got me back into physical labor big time.
I don't have a planter yet so I hand planted them.

I am into potatoes big time. Here is my digger and it also makes the furrow when planting.
Also my harvest crew. DIL and Grandkids.
And the final product. 168 quarts this year.
Richard in NW SC

I remember you posting those pics earlier. That potato digger looks sweet. My potato digger has a wooden handle, and doesn't get pulled by a tractor! I typically raise Pontiac Reds, two or three rows, with a single row of Russets. I fertilize when I plant and again when the potatoes bloom, get some really nice big red potatoes. I do have a shovel plow, but it tears up the potatoes right bad, and I sit behind a desk all day, so a little manual labor is good for me once in a while.

Another shot of my plow.
Richard

RJ, If I rum the plow deep enough, I almost never hit the potatoes. The wings I welded on the plow help also.
Richard

We used to grow an acre of potatoes. Didn?t even have a potato digger. Just used our IH 240 and a walk behind moldboard plow. Hand planted too.

I haven't grown any yet that are big enough to "get into"
Sorry Dan, must be cabin fever.
Loren

Do you have a trick for peeling that many potatoes? My trick used to be my wife but she has announced that she has quit.

Is that question for me or for Ande?
Richard

@Richard That is a lot of canning! I talked about canning some, but don't you have to pressure can? I talk to the Mrs. about this last fall, and all I got was a bunch of no's. I guess I'm going to look into further when I can.
But your pictures are impressive

Regarding the digger, this one was probably horse drawn, but was setup for a tractor. (spade type) I do see them for sale on Craigs around here for 500.00 - 600.00.
I have a spare one that is a different brand. Needs work, (Apron) probably why I never ran it.

I had a neighbor that planted a big patch of potatoes to feed his hard working sons, who had neglected to hoe out the weeds. I happened to show up on the day he wanted to dig up the spuds. He had an old potato digger that was originally used behind a horse. Only they had it hooked to the back of a Farmall model C. When I got there they were having a heated discussion about the weeds and the sons not keeping the digger on the row. The sons argument was that he was driving the tractor and they were following him, so he was the one that was off the row. And who had the time to hoe weeds while trying to get all the chores done he piled on them? His argument was that they must be missing the row because he couldn't see any potatoes on top of the ground. That was because the digger was only bringing up potatoes about the same size as golf balls and he couldn't see them from the tractor seat. Then they would go a few feet with the tractor and digger and the argument would start over about who was supposed to hoe the weeds and so forth. Finally the son that was holding onto the digger handles told the old man that if he knew where the potato rows were he should be running the digger. So they made the switch with the old man berating the son about not knowing what a potato plant looked like. Then the argument turned back to the fact that the weeds were too thick to be able to see the potato plants, and who was supposed to hoe out the weeds in the first place? When they got situated with the son on the tractor, and the old man hanging onto the digger handles while he was yelling to hurry up, because it was getting on to chore time. Well, the son had about enough of his old man, so he put the tractor in third gear and took off. The old man kept up for a while, all the while cussing a blue streak and running with his legs going around like a windmill. The rest of us fell on the ground laughing. I don't know whether they ever got the rest of the patch dug up or not, because I headed home before I busted a stitch from all the laughing I was doing.

I apologize for the first picture, it wasn't very clear, but this one will give you a better idea. I was digging Yukon Golds again.

@RJ, I plan to work up more of the meadow, and a few other meadows, as I don't use any fertilizer, but give the ground a rest for one year. I keep track if I have angle worms, as to me it says the ground is healthy. I realize in cramp spaces (back yard gardens) that is impossible. And I also had a small garden where I live.
My goal is at least 2 years for rotation of potatoes on the ground

Ande, yes I pressure can in my big shop. I can potatoes, green beans, collards, and okra.
We dry a few things.
I own 5 pressure canners, but only use a couple. My favorite one is probably over 100 years old and built like a vault. Canning is very safe as long as you follow the instructions.
Richard

(quoted from post at 10:27:49 01/11/18) Is that question for me or for Ande?
Richard

Click to expand...

Either or both. The wife is really hung up on not wanting to peel potatoes again for two solid days. We are just about to finish eating 2014's canned potatoes.

I sit in my shop where it is cool with the big fan moving air. Got the radio on classic rock station. While a batch is in the pressure cooker, I peel another batch.
Keep some cold beer in the shop fridge and if I get tired of peeling, I wait a few days and go back at it.
My wife helps me more since she retired.
I enjoy it and it gives us a good felling we have plenty to eat on the shelves.
Richard

My once-upon-a-time potato patch is now "tilled" on a regular basis with a riding lawnmower. LOL One of life's challenges is to be able to make this adjustment when the time comes.

When growing up, one of our food staples was mom's thick sliced home grown potatoes fried in bacon grease. Very tasty!!! Small holes were ignored!!!. We worked off all those calories.

@ScottNC

We keep out taters in a cool place, like the farmers do, tell they process them. 35-40 degrees, but I have had them as high as 50, and still went almost too April, some were rooting but still good.
Some we use for seed

Here is the digger on its own, you can see it has a spade like

Great Post Dan! sure ave always Drooled for a digger like yours,, I always grow spuds,, I was short this year and have ran out till summer,, Your ground looks Amazing
cnt

Does this count? We actually don't grow commercial potatoes anymore. Quit back in 2006, grew red norlands, Pontiacs, lasodas, and my favorite the red Viking. Still plant 8 rows in the garden every year but they're only 60 feet long.

Sure does count, love watching the Ma & Pa operations around here, they grow a wonderful product

Richard, to bad we aren't neighbors, I think we would have some fun, and trade some ideas on gardening and taters, oh yes my shack has some beer also!

Hello Dan,

I love those Yukon Golds! Almost don't need any butter, notice I said almost. You must have a lot of ambition attending to that many potatoes. My rows are much shorter-and a lot weedier LOL Did Case ever make a potato digger? Don

Yep, it is sad that a lot of us don't live closer to each other.
Richard

Thanks Tom, I'm fortunate this year, as the potatoes came through.

I have wanted a little place like I have all my life, my Dad sold (years ago) a "DC" I had bought 40 years ago, cause he said you don't want one of those, and today I have one and would never sell.
I love the honest exercise Don I get from having the garden, or like the Mrs. says this isn't a garden, its a farm! HeHe.



I cant remember, but will have to research the Case digger, I have a 1941 sales book, I will look through it and post Don

Ron, my Mother would also did this and it was very good, and those eggs fried in the bacon grease yum! And yes, we did work it off, and it was a long day. But those long hours never hurt us a bit!

Ande, The life style we encountered growing up was a blessing from God. Also, Government was not in our face telling us some rich person need to share.

Ron, my friend, I couldn't agree with you more.