At a recent family lunch I enjoyed a conversation with my dad and uncle, Gil and Gary Hjellen, about what it was like for them growing up in Wasilla during the 1950s. I love family gatherings, especially when I get to hear new stories from the past. My Uncle Gary shared a story I never heard before from one September day in the early 1950s when he and my dad were picking potatoes at a farm near Wasilla Lake. They were busy harvesting when a pilot from Palmer started showing off his new plane by buzzing the field multiple times. My dad, probably around 11 or 12 at the time, became irritated at the man from Palmer so he threw a potato at the plane and hit his mark. The fancy pilot from Palmer did not buzz that field again. I guess my dad was an early participant in the rivalry between Wasilla and Palmer that continues on to this day.
Dad shared with me that one of the few ways he could make money in the early 1950s was to work on the potato farms. Usually kids were conscripted to do free labor in those days. Potatoes were called the cash crop and he received 5 cents for each bag he filled by hand. The bag was hooked to a special potato belt and with his back bent over he filled each bag while dragging it between his legs. He also worked planting the fields in the spring. He would cut each seed potato, bury it about 3 inches in a plowed row, move forward about a foot, and do it again. Talk about back breaking labor! It was not just my dad and uncle who picked potatoes in the fall. When the potatoes were ready to harvest all the kids were let out of school and encouraged to help dig with the rest of the community. The pickers were mostly kids, junior high and under, and a few women. Dad was so happy when he entered high school because then he was able to leave the fields to drive a truck.
Let’s grow our own spuds
Potatoes are popular in Alaskan home gardens for a lot of reasons. They are easy to grow, have high yields, and potatoes store well for many months. We can have fun experimenting with many different varieties of potatoes and growing methods. My favorite type of potatoes are the red-skinned varieties. I tried a purple variety one year and loved the beauty and novelty of it, but my husband could not get over the ‘odd’ color. A good choice of potato variety everyone loves is the Yukon Gold. Whatever variety you choose be sure to start with certified seed potatoes to help prevent the spread of disease in your gardens. Most nurseries sell the seed potatoes in larger quantities than the average gardener may need or want. Luckily, family, friends and neighbors will be happy to use any extras you have, and if they have extra seed potatoes or other plant starts they will likely share with you too.
We can be almost as creative in how we plant our potatoes as what variety we choose. Next year I want to grow some of my potatoes in old tires. Some people grow their spuds in large pots, bags, compost piles and even trash cans. The more traditional way of planting potatoes in rows works fine if you have the space. Small certified seed potatoes, about the size of a golf ball, can be planted without cutting them. Larger seed potatoes should be cut in 2 to 3 inch pieces leaving 2-3 eyes on them. Like flower bulbs, the potato piece helps feed the plant. It does not matter which way you plant the pieces but many people like to put the cut sides down. Keep in mind that large scale potato farmers don’t bother to position their seed potatoes. Normally Alaskans can plant potatoes in mid to late May. I ran out of time to get any potatoes planted at our place this year because of late snow storms and travel plans. I did not worry about it though because I knew I would be able to get all the local potatoes I wanted from U-pick farms, farmer’s markets, or in any of our grocery stores at a reasonable cost.
Harvest and Storage
The time to pick potatoes is typically after the first frost kills the plant and before the ground begins to freeze. Potatoes can be picked before this, but picking early will result in smaller and fewer potatoes. I usually can’t wait to have a few fresh potatoes in August, so I am willing to sacrifice a plant or two. One thing to watch out for is any green spots on your potatoes. The green spots are a result of sun exposure and indicate the presence of solanine, a toxic substance. If it is a small spot you are safe in cutting the green spot off, but if most of the potato is green, it is best to throw it in your compost pile. The greening of potatoes can be avoided by adding soil or compost to the potato plant as it grows. Dig carefully using a garden fork to loosen the soil and pull out the potatoes by hand. Unless you are eating the harvested potatoes in a week or two, resist the urge to wash them off. Potatoes will store much longer if they are not washed. Keep your potatoes dry in a cool place, 35-50 degrees, in your home where they will not be exposed to light or be in danger of freezing. I am fortunate to have a root cellar built into my home since my great-grandparents began building it in 1947, when planting and storing your own food was not a fad but a necessity. My great-grandparents did have electricity and a refrigerator, but they remembered well how to survive without the conveniences of modern day life. A root cellar was a key component to any Alaskan homestead prior to 1960 and in my opinion is still an important feature to consider including in modern homes.
If you don’t want to grow your own potatoes or other vegetables you can still enjoy local produce on your table for a reasonable cost. There are several U-pick farms where you can pick potatoes and other vegetables yourself or you will find them at farmer’s markets and any local grocery store. Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall. Its setting on Bodenburg Loop Road with Pioneer Peak looming in the background is hard to beat on a crisp fall day. I have not visited any U-pick farms in the Fairbanks area, but the Tanana valley is well known in Alaska for bountiful produce also.
Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Don’t plant daffodils on the south side of your yard. One year I planted them in a garden bed on the lake side of our home. Spring arrived and I was excited to see them growing through the snow. When they bloomed I was beyond disappointed when the daffodils faced toward the southern sun and the lake, not toward my yard. At least people boating on the lake could enjoy them that year. Tulips or hyacinths work fine on any side of your yard, but consider carefully where you plant your new daffodil bulbs this year.
Gardening Tip: Bulb Planting
September is the time to plant your spring flowering bulbs. My spirit is lifted each spring when I spot grape hyacinths and scilla blooming through the last of the snow. If you have a protected location next to your home’s foundation try planting a few regular hyacinth bulbs. Their fragrance is an undeniable promise that summer is coming soon. Until this last unusual spring my hyacinths bloomed in early May faithfully for years. This year I will also be planting new tulip bulbs since mine finally faded out as tulips will do after a few years. If you are planting daffodils be sure to read about my lesson learned the hard way to save yourself the same mistake I made.
At a recent family lunch I enjoyed a conversation with my dad and uncle, Gil and Gary Hjellen, about what it was like for them growing up in Wasilla during the 1950s. I love family gatherings, especially when I get to hear new stories from the past. My Uncle Gary shared a story I never heard before from one September day in the early 1950s when he and my dad were picking potatoes at a farm near Wasilla Lake. They were busy harvesting when a pilot from Palmer started showing off his new plane by buzzing the field multiple times. My dad, probably around 11 or 12 at the time, became irritated at the man from Palmer so he threw a potato at the plane and hit his mark. The fancy pilot from Palmer did not buzz that field again. I guess my dad was an early participant in the rivalry between Wasilla and Palmer that continues on to this day.
Dad shared with me that one of the few ways he could make money in the early 1950s was to work on the potato farms. Usually kids were conscripted to do free labor in those days. Potatoes were called the cash crop and he received 5 cents for each bag he filled by hand. The bag was hooked to a special potato belt and with his back bent over he filled each bag while dragging it between his legs. He also worked planting the fields in the spring. He would cut each seed potato, bury it about 3 inches in a plowed row, move forward about a foot, and do it again. Talk about back breaking labor! It was not just my dad and uncle who picked potatoes in the fall. When the potatoes were ready to harvest all the kids were let out of school and encouraged to help dig with the rest of the community. The pickers were mostly kids, junior high and under, and a few women. Dad was so happy when he entered high school because then he was able to leave the fields to drive a truck.
Let’s grow our own spuds
Potatoes are popular in Alaskan home gardens for a lot of reasons. They are easy to grow, have high yields, and potatoes store well for many months. We can have fun experimenting with many different varieties of potatoes and growing methods. My favorite type of potatoes are the red-skinned varieties. I tried a purple variety one year and loved the beauty and novelty of it, but my husband could not get over the ‘odd’ color. A good choice of potato variety everyone loves is the Yukon Gold. Whatever variety you choose be sure to start with certified seed potatoes to help prevent the spread of disease in your gardens. Most nurseries sell the seed potatoes in larger quantities than the average gardener may need or want. Luckily, family, friends and neighbors will be happy to use any extras you have, and if they have extra seed potatoes or other plant starts they will likely share with you too.
We can be almost as creative in how we plant our potatoes as what variety we choose. Next year I want to grow some of my potatoes in old tires. Some people grow their spuds in large pots, bags, compost piles and even trash cans. The more traditional way of planting potatoes in rows works fine if you have the space. Small certified seed potatoes, about the size of a golf ball, can be planted without cutting them. Larger seed potatoes should be cut in 2 to 3 inch pieces leaving 2-3 eyes on them. Like flower bulbs, the potato piece helps feed the plant. It does not matter which way you plant the pieces but many people like to put the cut sides down. Keep in mind that large scale potato farmers don’t bother to position their seed potatoes. Normally Alaskans can plant potatoes in mid to late May. I ran out of time to get any potatoes planted at our place this year because of late snow storms and travel plans. I did not worry about it though because I knew I would be able to get all the local potatoes I wanted from U-pick farms, farmer’s markets, or in any of our grocery stores at a reasonable cost.
Harvest and Storage
The time to pick potatoes is typically after the first frost kills the plant and before the ground begins to freeze. Potatoes can be picked before this, but picking early will result in smaller and fewer potatoes. I usually can’t wait to have a few fresh potatoes in August, so I am willing to sacrifice a plant or two. One thing to watch out for is any green spots on your potatoes. The green spots are a result of sun exposure and indicate the presence of solanine, a toxic substance. If it is a small spot you are safe in cutting the green spot off, but if most of the potato is green, it is best to throw it in your compost pile. The greening of potatoes can be avoided by adding soil or compost to the potato plant as it grows. Dig carefully using a garden fork to loosen the soil and pull out the potatoes by hand. Unless you are eating the harvested potatoes in a week or two, resist the urge to wash them off. Potatoes will store much longer if they are not washed. Keep your potatoes dry in a cool place, 35-50 degrees, in your home where they will not be exposed to light or be in danger of freezing. I am fortunate to have a root cellar built into my home since my great-grandparents began building it in 1947, when planting and storing your own food was not a fad but a necessity. My great-grandparents did have electricity and a refrigerator, but they remembered well how to survive without the conveniences of modern day life. A root cellar was a key component to any Alaskan homestead prior to 1960 and in my opinion is still an important feature to consider including in modern homes.
If you don’t want to grow your own potatoes or other vegetables you can still enjoy local produce on your table for a reasonable cost. There are several U-pick farms where you can pick potatoes and other vegetables yourself or you will find them at farmer’s markets and any local grocery store. Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall. Its setting on Bodenburg Loop Road with Pioneer Peak looming in the background is hard to beat on a crisp fall day. I have not visited any U-pick farms in the Fairbanks area, but the Tanana valley is well known in Alaska for bountiful produce also.
Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Don’t plant daffodils on the south side of your yard. One year I planted them in a garden bed on the lake side of our home. Spring arrived and I was excited to see them growing through the snow. When they bloomed I was beyond disappointed when the daffodils faced toward the southern sun and the lake, not toward my yard. At least people boating on the lake could enjoy them that year. Tulips or hyacinths work fine on any side of your yard, but consider carefully where you plant your new daffodil bulbs this year.
Gardening Tip: Bulb Planting
September is the time to plant your spring flowering bulbs. My spirit is lifted each spring when I spot grape hyacinths and scilla blooming through the last of the snow. If you have a protected location next to your home’s foundation try planting a few regular hyacinth bulbs. Their fragrance is an undeniable promise that summer is coming soon. Until this last unusual spring my hyacinths bloomed in early May faithfully for years. This year I will also be planting new tulip bulbs since mine finally faded out as tulips will do after a few years. If you are planting daffodils be sure to read about my lesson learned the hard way to save yourself the same mistake I made.
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Writing, history, gardening, and traveling are a few of Wendy Wesser’s interests. She grew up in Alaska, living as far south as Metlakatla and as far north as Fairbanks. Her family’s history of six generations in Alaska reaches back to the Gold Rush years. She loves reading, hearing, and sharing Alaskan stories of newcomers and oldtimers alike—Last Frontier Magazine has provided her the opportunity to work in this very venue.Alternate bio for articles: Wendy currently resides in Wasilla, Alaska, but has also lived in Metlakatla, Ketchikan, Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks. She enjoys sharing her life experiences of hiking, skiing, gardening, winter camping, etc…, as well as helping other Alaskans (old, new, current, or past) to share their own tales. Since she always says, “Yes!” to the next adventure, her backlog of stories is varied and almost endless.
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