Post by Tom Wagner on Aug 29, 2009 3:13:28 GMT -8
The harvest of my potato plot at the former WSU extension facility on 78th St. was a fun event.
It started with an hour and a half of of the introductory presentations; photos projected on the big screen, showing potatoes grown from F-2 Sarop Mira, tomatoes of all kinds out of my breeding work, and a summary of my breeding work with potatoes and tomatoes. It was interactive to the max, with folks frequently interrupting me with questions. I was in my element.
I invited folks to ask questions throughput the harvest and they did! I rather like to answer questions, as it gives me material to use in future workshops. I started the harvest with me digging up potatoes with a fork showing the proper method of hand digging and I picked out the Up To Date variety first because this was the variety my grandfather Kaighin grew on the Isle of Man prior to coming to America in 1906. This was the most requested potato to take home, too!
The Columbian was there with a reporter and photographer, so I am hoping for some publicity comes from the hundreds of shots taken and information written down. The writer was really impressed with the flowers on some of my potatoes especially my Khuchi Koochi potatoes.
This same writer sampled at least 10 of my tomatoes and each one had a great flavor except one which was purposely bred to have no flavor.
We pulled a pickup load of potatoes out for storage primarily with planting in the next year in mind. I still have some to harvest so I will leave a map for that purpose.
I already have approval to plant here again for next year. I am hoping the message of my work helps keep this property available for community research.
Tom Wagner
It started with an hour and a half of of the introductory presentations; photos projected on the big screen, showing potatoes grown from F-2 Sarop Mira, tomatoes of all kinds out of my breeding work, and a summary of my breeding work with potatoes and tomatoes. It was interactive to the max, with folks frequently interrupting me with questions. I was in my element.
I invited folks to ask questions throughput the harvest and they did! I rather like to answer questions, as it gives me material to use in future workshops. I started the harvest with me digging up potatoes with a fork showing the proper method of hand digging and I picked out the Up To Date variety first because this was the variety my grandfather Kaighin grew on the Isle of Man prior to coming to America in 1906. This was the most requested potato to take home, too!
The Columbian was there with a reporter and photographer, so I am hoping for some publicity comes from the hundreds of shots taken and information written down. The writer was really impressed with the flowers on some of my potatoes especially my Khuchi Koochi potatoes.
This same writer sampled at least 10 of my tomatoes and each one had a great flavor except one which was purposely bred to have no flavor.
We pulled a pickup load of potatoes out for storage primarily with planting in the next year in mind. I still have some to harvest so I will leave a map for that purpose.
I already have approval to plant here again for next year. I am hoping the message of my work helps keep this property available for community research.
Tom Wagner
