By Angela Hill

Potato farmers see bumper crop

Oct 7, 2010 | 6:45 AM

Last year their potatoes froze in the ground, so the Muskoday Organic Growers Co-operative was planning to be happy with whatever they grew this year.
Harvey Knight, president of the co-operative, said he was pleasantly surprised with the results.
“We have a really bountiful harvest right now — we’re harvesting about five acres of potatoes organically grown on certified organic land. We’re just really happy with the harvest this year,” said Knight.
This year, the second for the co-operative, has its own set of problems. The provincial program that provided funding for employment training for workers last year was cut. So this year Knight has lots of potatoes, but not enough labour.
“We still need more people to come out there to work, to volunteer and it’s for a good cause. We’re a non-profit organization,” he said.
He’s looking to the community to help solve the problem.
The growers are hosting a community harvesting bee Friday morning at 10 on the fields at Muskoday First Nation.
“The community is coming out and we are having a harvesting bee for the community and about 20 people from the youth organization are coming out,” Knight said.
The plan is simple and uses sweat equity. For every two, 50-pound bags of potatoes picked, the harvesters will get to keep one.
Heifer International, an organization that supports agriculture programs around the world, said they are pleased to continue supporting the growers co-operative on Muskoday.
“They are growing organically that keeps in our mission of caring for the earth our Mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth,” said Joe Munroe, indigenous people filed co-ordinator for the Canadian Prairies with Heifer Projects International Canada.
Munroe said he hopes to join the harvesting bee Friday with others from the organization.
ahill@rawlco.com