Sweet Potato Harvest

Yesterday we harvested our first of four rows of sweet potatoes (about 100 lbs).  These Carolina Ruby sweet potatoes grow exceptionally well in central North Carolina even when we have a dry summer like this year.  We will keep them in the garage (covered and damp) for about 2 weeks to cure, at which point they will be ready to eat or store in the house for up to 6 months.

FYI, today I have a guest post at Robb Wolf’s site called The Grass is Greener, but the Weeds are Taller.  In this post, I outline some of my plans for the farm now that my days are a bit busier with the new website My Athletic Life.  Please take a peek at my guest post as well as the new site if you have time.

Thanks for reading!

My Experience with a Root Cellar

Photo credit: Allen Gathman

A reader (Joyce) sent me the following email asking for my thoughts about using a root cellar in North Carolina.

I would love to read if you and your family have ventured into the world of food preservation.  Having grown up in the Midwest with root cellars, I’ve been trying to find info on using root cellars here (we’re in Charlotte). I can’t seem to find anything. Do you know if there is a tradition of root cellars in the Carolinas? Our rocky clay soil really retains water which doesn’t bode well for my root cellar dreams, but I can’t think of any other way to preserve food without electricity or dehydrating. I really don’t want to live entirely off dehydrated foods.
Best regards,
Joyce

Great question!