‘Baking under the sun’: How Ontario’s potato harvest battles rising temperatures

Oct 06, 2023

The recent heat wave sweeping through Canada’s Ontario province has put a damper on the potato harvest, according to Dr. Eugenia Banks, a renowned potato specialist at the Ontario Potato Board. In her latest email newsletter, Dr. Banks highlighted the challenges faced by farmers due to the soaring temperatures.

By noon, the mercury is touching a scorching 29C, making it perilous to dig up potatoes. Ideally, potatoes should be harvested when the pulp temperatures are between 10-15C. Any temperature above 18C can lead to diseases like soft rot and Pythium leak, which can infect the tubers through any bruises or minor wounds.

Dr. Banks emphasized the importance of monitoring pulp temperatures to ensure the health of the crop. P & K Vander Zaag Farms, one of the prominent farms in the region, has been meticulous in recording details such as pulp temperature, variety of the potato, date, time, truck number, and storage name.

Such detailed records can be invaluable in case any issues arise later in the storage piles.

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Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.