Time to celebrate - our spuds have hit the dirt

First of the planters - Yandoit Primary School children - Lotus, Madeleine and Edwin.













Contemplating the 16 varieties of potatoes they're to plant out. We ended up with another two varieties from DPI Toolangi - Purple Congo and Kipfler; Fernleigh Farms also provided Pink Fir.

Ray Frawley, journalist at the Ballarat Courier, explained to the potato planters that the Atlantic potato is widely used for making potato crisps. On the right is Fiona Chambers, owner of Fernleigh Farms, and host of our potato plots. (Keep an eye out for Ray's article in The Courier.)

After the briefing .... it's down to work. Here the children from Yandoit and Bullarto Primary Schools place the potatoes in the pre-drilled furrows.


Drummond Primary School children joined the planters later in the day. By 7pm the potatoes had been fertilised and covered. HUGE thanks to Fiona, Nick and Sandor at Fernleigh Farms for the land and the hard work they put in yesterday. Over the summer holidays the FF crew will continue to look after the growing potatoes. The patches have all been marked out, by potato variety and school, so if you're passing by, please call in and check on growth. We'll be posting news and pics as the spuds germinate.

In the meantime - diary dates for 2008 are
22 February - Daylesford Primary School students design potato-print place mats for the Worlds Longest Lunch
17 March - harvest begins
23 March - Potato BBQ and Dean sign launch (contact 03 5334 5466)- Dean Hall & Mechanics Institute
April - The Big Cook-off - Bullarto, Drummond and Yandoit Primary Schools create potato menus
23 August - Big Spud Ho-Down & BBQ - Launch Dean & District Spud History - Dean Hall & Mechanics Institute (contact 03 5334 5466)