Author: Helmer

We read this blurb about potatoes in the Urban Digs newsletter:

All About Potatoes

The potato is probably one of the most universally used vegetables. Originating in Peru, the potato is now the world's fourth largest food crop, and it's easy to see why. You can bake them, fry them, add them to soups, stews and curries, put them in a salad, and pair them with nearly any flavour. Eating potatoes is not only enjoyable, but entirely good for you contrary to many unfounded claims. A serving of potatoes will provide you with 45% of your daily vitamin C intake, and more potassium than a banana, spinach or broccoli. Potatoes are also very good natural sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber, one of the richest vegetables sources of B-complex vitamins, and contain essential minerals like Iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and copper. All under 110 calories, with very little fat (just 0.1 g per 100 g) and no cholesterol!

So basically, potatoes are great.

All done markets now. Looking out on the rain and feeling very grateful for all the support from Vancouver all year.

We’ll be back mid-late July. Lots of activity between now and then.

If you want to have a look at the farm, watch this space for Open Farm dates.

We do have some seed potatoes available still. Email annahelmer@hotmail.com for the up to date product list.

Helmer’s will be presenting at the COABC cconference in Chilliwack Feb. 28. We’ll talk about how we are managing to produce virus-free seed potatoes and table potatoes using a 5 year green manure cover crop rotation program. Somehow, we'll make that topic entertaining.

It’s been a hot one, folks. Great for the potatoes and carrots, as we watered them carefully. Not great for the farmers, most of whom have been consistently overheated for pretty much the last 4 months. Certainly, the blog updating melted away. Cooler nights are here, however, and even the first frost which has sparked a little action at the keyboard!

Here's a picture of our lunch. We have the same thing every day. Rise Bakery potato bread (available at the Vancouver markets), toasted with mayo, topped with cheese du jour, tomatoes and cucumbers grown especially for this purpose. On the side, work gloves and extra cukes. And coffee, and a nice big cookie from Simply Delicious. We take turns making the sandwiches: one of us is the fastest, one is only chosen occasionally, and one is the best.

This market season, we've been taking our bikes to Vancouver to check out the famous bike routes. We use them to ride to restaurants/retailers that buy our potatoes at market. Whole Foods Cambie, Burdock and Co., The Fish Counter, Merchant's Oyster Bar on Commercial, Farmer's Apprentice, The Pear Tree, Urban Digs...totally awesome.

We are deep into the seed potato harvest now. Contact us anytime at helmer@direct.ca to place your order. The on-line ordering will be up Nov.1 with shipments and pick-ups commencing in Feb/Mar 2015. We'll have the following varieties available:

French Fingerling, La Ratte Fingerling, Irish Cobbler, All Red, Bintje, Sieglinde, Ulla and Desiree.

 
It's been a hot one, folks. Great for the potatoes and carrots, as we watered them carefully. Not great for the farmers, most of whom have been consistently overheated for pretty much the last 4 months. Certainly, the blog updating melted away. Cooler nights are here, however, and even the first frost which has sparked a little action at the keyboard!

Here's a picture of our lunch. We have the same thing every day. Rise Bakery potato bread (available at the Vancouver markets), toasted with mayo, topped with cheese du jour, tomatoes and cucumbers grown especially for this purpose. On the side, work gloves and extra cukes. And coffee, and a nice big cookie from Simply Delicious. We take turns making the sandwiches: one of us is the fastest, one is only chosen occasionally, and one is the best.

This market season, we've been taking our bikes to Vancouver to check out the famous bike routes. We use them to ride to restaurants/retailers that buy our potatoes at market. Whole Foods Cambie, Burdock and Co., The Fish Counter, Merchant's Oyster Bar on Commercial, Farmer's Apprentice, The Pear Tree, Urban Digs...totally awesome.

We are deep into the seed potato harvest now. Contact us anytime at helmer@direct.ca to place your order. The on-line ordering will be up Nov.1 with shipments and pick-ups commencing in Feb/Mar 2015. We'll have the following varieties available:

French Fingerling, La Ratte Fingerling, Irish Cobbler, All Red, Bintje, Sieglinde, Ulla and Desiree.

Almost at the opening bell at Kits market. Takes 2.5 hours to get the stall ready! This includes getting coffee, see Rustica from Rise, and a visit with colleagues.
It's been a hot one, folks. Great for the potatoes and carrots, as we watered them carefully. Not great for the farmers, most of whom have been consistently overheated for pretty much the last 4 months. Certainly, the blog updating melted away. Cooler nights are here, however, and even the first frost which has sparked a little action at the keyboard!

Here's a picture of our lunch. We have the same thing every day. Rise Bakery potato bread (available at the Vancouver markets), toasted with mayo, topped with cheese du jour, tomatoes and cucumbers grown especially for this purpose. On the side, work gloves and extra cukes. And coffee, and a nice big cookie from Simply Delicious. We take turns making the sandwiches: one of us is the fastest, one is only chosen occasionally, and one is the best.

This market season, we've been taking our bikes to Vancouver to check out the famous bike routes. We use them to ride to restaurants/retailers that buy our potatoes at market. Whole Foods Cambie, Burdock and Co., The Fish Counter, Merchant's Oyster Bar on Commercial, Farmer's Apprentice, The Pear Tree, Urban Digs...totally awesome.

We are deep into the seed potato harvest now. Contact us anytime at helmer@direct.ca to place your order. The on-line ordering will be up Nov.1 with shipments and pick-ups commencing in Feb/Mar 2015. We'll have the following varieties available:

French Fingerling, La Ratte Fingerling, Irish Cobbler, All Red, Bintje, Sieglinde, Ulla and Desiree.

Almost at the opening bell at Kits market. Takes 2.5 hours to get the stall ready! This includes getting coffee, see Rustica from Rise, and a visit with colleagues.
French Fingerling potatoes. Boiled, information pills smashed and buttered. And sea salt.

Baked wild salmon (Coho, buy more about Sockeye)- Place fillets in a greased casserole dish, cover with a mixture of 2 tbsp ginger, 2 tsp maple syrup, 2 cloves garlic,  and 1 cup soy sauce. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done.

Yummy cabbage side dish:

Cut red cabbage into pot with sauteed butter and onion, add 3 tbs apple cider vinegar, cook slowly for 20 min with the lid on. Remove lid and add 2 cut up apples, cover, stirring occasionally, for 20 min more. Add this to the plate with the potatoes and salmon.