F.A. Farm

Last night we got some rain, which we needed for germination. This morning, I noticed my French fingerlings are up. They were planted on April 11th and are a 65 day potato. I am tres pleased. My Red Thumb fingerlings have been up for some time (planted April 10th), which is what I expected. Red Thumbs are a nearly perfect fingerling - red inside and out, 65 day maturity, excellent as new potatoes, excellent keepers, with fantastic taste. The French fingerlings are getting quite a lot of press in the last couple of years and they have a romantic history. Supposedly, they were smuggled into this country in a feedbag of a horse, in the early part of the 20th century. They are also a 65 day potato, have a red skin and are buff-colored inside, often with a hint of a red blush or a red ring. They are quite tasty and store well.

Another early riser are my Bintjes. This is a Dutch potato that I tried last year for the first time and it is quite delicious and both yields and stores well. It has a yellow skin and is another 65 day potato. Last year, I started planting on April 6th and harvested my first new potatoes on June 12th. This year I started planting April 10th, so I anticipate potatoes in around mid-June again. As I say, I am tres pleased.