From our offices in Malin you can see the cloud of dirt rising from the leases located outside of Tulelake. It’s one of our potato bulkers, scraping the old lake bed and sorting the light-colored chipping potatoes from the rich dark soil. Potato harvest has started.
Between the nature of chipping potatoes and the early September weather, the conditions are just right for starting harvest. Chipping potatoes are usually harvested early than baking potato varieties that are sold to fresh market. This year is no different. Down on the leases, aside from the birds, most of the action is from our potato harvesters and spud trucks taking the potatoes from the earth and to our cellars. With the number of acres we have planted in chippers, our harvest season usually lasts until right around the time of the Klamath Basin Potato Festival, in mid-October.
Though we’re less than a week into chipping potato harvest, so far things are going well. The potatoes look great, the yields are good and there haven’t been any equipment problems (saying those things will probably jinx everything!). Hopefully the weather will hold up and harvest will continue to go as smoothly as it has so far!
Want to see more pictures of our potato bulkers and spud trucks in action on the leases?
