Last week, I relayed to all of you, how  Colonel Grandpa touched our lives.  When he came to us, an entire, new era began to blossom upon the farm.

    Not only did my farmer have an extra dairy/field hand, but also a mechanic, construction worker, vet, and Ag Researcher.  He introduced so many new venues of farming, that I couldn’t begin to name them all: chisel  plowing, drilling soybeans, rolling hay, a new tractor and kick bailer and …..Growing Potatoes.

    When he brought this new idea to us, we thought he was joking. One afternoon in the early spring of ’82, he came and gave us a new proposal. I have passed this genre onto many gardeners.

       To quote Grandpa:” I’ve been talking to the Ag Dept. at OSU. Don’t buck the system on what I’m about to share, kids. This one is over the top, but it works.”

Here, my friends are the directions :  Layer the ground with newspaper. Place your seed potatoes on top. Cover everything heavily with straw, then wet it down.  The straw acts as the layer of soil, thus fooling Mother Nature. The potato vines will grow up through the straw, as the potatoes beneath become huge.

       At harvest, you pull back the straw, and Voila!  You have a potato crop! We have planted our crop every year using the Grandpa method.

 GPA passed in 2000.  How I miss his love, kindness, laughter, and wisdom. Two gifts that he left me with:  Research and never be afraid to ask.

Love you Grandpa

SuZQ