This is taken from the front end of the potato digger, where it digs up the dirt and potatoes and brings it through the machinations that sort the potatoes out from the dirt and vines.  Don’t ask me how that all works, because I haven’t a clue.  I just know the dirt and vines go flying out the back end and the potatoes are routed to a conveyer, which you can see in the image below.  The conveyor takes the potatoes up, turns a corner where a vine puller removes any vines, rock or dirt clods, etc., before loading into a truck.

I mentioned in the previous post that after the truck is fully loaded it is tarped before it proceeds to the storage or processor.  Tarping is one of the requirements for passing the USDA GAP audit.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a set of criteria that the processor and grower must implement in order to pass the audit, Good Agricultural Practices for the grower and Good Handling Practices for the processor.  The GAP audit is actually a voluntary process, but the companies purchasing product from the processor are more and more requiring GAP/GHP certification.  Some companies such as McDonalds and Sysco require even more stringent requirements.  All of the criteria are things that most conscientious growers do anyway, it is just a matter of documenting the act of doing it, because if it isn’t on paper, did you actually do it?

A lot of physical labor, sound and timely decisions, and the paper work to document it all, goes into raising a good crop of potatoes, whether they go to fresh market or to the processor, so that you the consumer can enjoy french fries and mashed or baked potatoes.  If you enjoy cooking you can try the delicious sounding frittata, bread, manicotti, gnocchi, latkes, scalloped, au gratin potatoes…too many recipes to list here, but you can download the recipes from the Washington Potato Commission who compiled recipes created by chefs from Eastern Washington or some recipes from Puget Sound chefs.  Personally, I’d start out with the Eastern Washington recipes, because after all, this is where the majority of the potatoes are grown…we should know how to cook them, right??

Here are a couple of bonus shots to complete the series.  Next up will be some images for November in Black and White, which is hosted by Maya at Springtree Road and you can read all about it here so that you can participate, too!

I’m trying to get the processing done on the organic farm shoot and I’m about two-thirds of the way there.  Hopefully tonight will finish it up and then I can get back to regular blog visits.  Fingers crossed!

Peas from the organic farm.  They look scrumptious!

Sunday Spotlight

• Liss at Memory Forever shares what makes her soul sing.  I LOVE the capture of her daughter sleeping peacefully.
• Marcie Scudder at Daily Practice has a knack for capturing that special shot, such as this Hop on Pop - it had me laughing out loud.
• Candace at Glenrosa Journeys has some fun with her fisheye lens, which really makes me kind of want one.

The farm for which I had the photo shoot is a certified organic farm.  They don’t use the usual chemicals that the typical farms applies and they are constantly seeking out new, safer, approved methods for control of weeds, insects, fungus, as well as fertilizer application.  This is a potato beetle, the adult version of yesterday’s bug.  He obviously escaped the bug killer that was released a few days prior.

It really was quite interesting to see the different control methods used.  Such things as beetle banks, beds of mixed flowers separating different fields, introduction of beneficial insects such as praying mantis and lady bugs – 10 different types, no less, to eat the not so beneficial bugs.  Truthfully, I didn’t listen to a whole lot of what was being talked about – I was too busy taking photos of two photogenic little girls, bugs, flowers, and the different crops that are planted. 

I really should have paid a little better attention to the speakers, though.  We were given hay rides from field to field and at one point a nice gentleman was sitting next to me as we were headed back to the rallying point, so I asked him if he was an organic farmer.  He politely said no, that he was a researcher in Prosser.  When I got home and started reviewing the photos, there he was giving a presentation.  I took two or three photos of him, too.  You’d think I would have remembered.  I’m blaming it on my lack of sleep (I’m feeling much better, after getting to bed earlier than usual).

Very few words, just a bug.  A potato beetle, before he turns into a beetle.  From what I understand from the meeting the other night, these things can decimate a potato field in short order.