Digging Potatoes

   Yesterday I dug the last of the potatoes. Late blight came through in mid September and killed all the tops. I waited to dig them till after we have had a few hard freezes in hopes that any spores would be killed. In this patch I had planted Reba, a long season baker and Augusta, a mid season yellow.

   Like jewels in the dirt. The Rebas had a high level of blight rot but the Augusta had none. The yields on the Augusta were much higher too. A really fine potato.

NOT A FUCKING TURNIP!

   Today I pulled the rutabagas. I have never grown them before and figured that if all else fails I will have some good veg in the root cellar. A rutabaga is a brassica. A turnip is a mustard.  Like how tigers look like house cats but taste not at all the same. If you have only had them boiled and mashed and have an opinion on them(turnips or rutabagas) you are a fool. That would be like saying you do not like steak because you have only had it boiled.

   Oddly some got bigger than my head but still good to eat. I guess about 150lbs. I will grow these again for sure.

  The root cellar is full of some yummy stuff for the cold winter to come. I am thankful.

   I had a look a the potatoes and dug a few for the week. I only found signs of blight on one but I will leave most in the ground for now.

  It has been a frustrating year and in the end fruitful. Dust to stardust, ever onward.

Digging Carrots

   The ground is starting to freeze so I thought it would be a good idea to dig carrots. It turned out to be a good year.

   Some really nice big ones.

   I planted one bed about 20 feet buy 2 feet.

   I am guessing this is about 70 pounds. I am pleased.

Not Much Left

  Pulled the last of the turnips, napa and daikon today. They say down in the teens again tonight.

Roy's Calais Flint Corn Shelling

   I grew this corn for meal this year. It is an Abenaki strain and is said to be one of the few things that grew in Vermont in the summer of 1816. I have never shelled corn and do not have the right tools.

   This worked very well. I planted one package of seed from High Mowing and in a rather shitty, colds, wet summer. I got about 90 ears, some quite small. I had no idea that the yield would be so good.

  
   I am astounded. This will make more corn meal than we tend to use in a year, with lots of seed for next year. Fuck you Monsanto.