We wanted to give you an update on our potato garden! This garden space started in 2022 and we have been expanding it each year and overwintering more and more seed potato each year. We are focusing on Tlingit potatoes, but grow a variety of spuds including Yukon Gold, Russet, Purple Potatoes, and Red Potatoes. Challenges we have had include keeping the weeds down so in 2025/2026 we upgraded the site. Thank you to Alaska Village Initiatives and American Heart Association for providing funding to make this happen! Key upgrades:
- The grow area is now 4 times bigger than the past and 2/3 of it covered in a “high tunnel” which keeps more heat in and keeps some pests like deer out. Because the size is bigger we overwintered 20 gallons of seed potato in 2025/2026. We usually get a 5:1 return so may expect as many as 100 gallons of potatoes when we harvest in September!
- Rows are now built with cribbing making it easier to weed and plant.
- We covered the rows with fabric and then planted through the fabric to help with weed control. Thank you to our students who came and helped plant!
- We installed a basic irrigation system
- We tilled and rolled the soil in the whole area
Future upgrades : Continuing to improve the irrigation. Building planter boxes for Strawberries, install fencing around the whole site, install end caps on the high tunnel
The images below show off progress of improving the site and show our potatoes just starting to come up as we write this. Thank you to all who helped out!
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