Sweet potato crop

Today for the first time since the very welcome rains we were able to use our potato digger to harvest sweet potatoes. Last week the soil was too wet so instead of a tractor we used forks and elbow grease to dig out the sweet potatoes. Below we see Kenji using the potato digger on a row that was already dug out. It was a quick second pass to make sure that we didn't miss any the first time. As you can see from the photo, the second pass yielded almost nothing.

The sweet potato crop this year is a meager one, especially when compared to last year. I guess the weather had a lot to do with it. In addition, deer consumed many of the sweet potato vines, which, of course, had a major impact on our yields. In contrast to other farms, we usually do not experience much deer pressure, but this year we did. Everything is interrelated: the dry weather forced the deer to look for food in new places and, alas, they found the vines and liked them.

Comments

[Charles Wilkerson]

I would like to have info on the potato digger. Who makes it ? Is it avail in Md ? How much HP to pull it ? Any info would be great
Thank you Charles Wilkerson

[samuel fischer]

I am also in dire need of a potatoe digger. any ideas where i could get one. I have a 3010 john deere rated at 60 hp. any leads would be appreciated. thanks sam 806-685-3491

[cecil pittman]

for charles wilkerson,just send me an e mail note to let me know how to contact you in reguard to a potato digger. you can e mail me at: crp1947@live.com thanks, cecil pittman