At Gwillimdale Farms, the potato harvest season kicks off in September, and it’s an exciting and busy time for everyone involved. Harvesting potatoes takes careful planning and precision, especially when you’re working with large fields and aiming to gather the best crop. Let’s take a look at how the process works and what goes into bringing fresh potatoes from the field to your table.
Potato harvest typically starts in early September, about 30 to 40 acres are ready for harvest in the first week of the month, with the remaining fields following from late September into early October. Timing is crucial because potatoes need to be harvested at the right moment to ensure they are at their peak in terms of quality and size.
Before the harvester starts its job, a windrower opens up the field. This machine digs up four rows of potatoes and combines them into two. As the windrower works, it shakes the potatoes, vines, and dirt, separating them and leaving only the potatoes in neat rows on the field. This process helps reduce the number of passes the harvester needs to make, increasing efficiency and reducing soil compaction.
Once the windrower has done its part, the harvester comes behind and can collect six rows of potatoes at once—four rows prepared by the windrower and two additional rows. As the harvester moves through the field, it not only gathers the potatoes but also separates out unwanted materials like stones.
During the potato harvest, we have five trucks constantly running between the fields and the storage facility. These trucks are loaded beside the harvester, allowing for a smooth, continuous flow of potatoes being harvested and transported. Once the trucks reach the storage facility, the potatoes are unloaded and carefully graded based on size and quality.
After grading, the potatoes are put into cold storage to maintain their freshness and prevent spoilage. Our storage facility at Gwillimdale Farms plays a crucial role in ensuring that we can provide fresh potatoes long after they’ve been harvested. This process helps keep the potatoes in top condition until they’re ready to be shipped to stores or used in food production.
Timing is everything when it comes to potato harvesting. At Gwillimdale Farms, we closely monitor the fields to make sure the potatoes reach peak maturity before we start digging. Harvesting too early can result in smaller, less developed potatoes, while waiting too long could impact their quality and shelf life. By harvesting each field at the perfect moment, we capture the full nutritional value and flavor of each potato. This careful attention to timing also supports soil health and ensures the best possible yield, making our field-grown potatoes a healthy, sustainable choice.
Our Scale of Operation
In total, we harvest around 500 to 550 acres of potatoes each year in Bradford alone. But that’s not all—at Gwillimdale Farms, we also manage an additional 250 to 300 acres of potato fields in New Liskeard, expanding our operations and bringing even more fresh, locally grown potatoes to the market.
Field-grown potatoes benefit from the natural soil and climate, which allows them to absorb nutrients more effectively. This results in potatoes that are not only delicious but also rich in the vitamins and minerals that make them a nutritious part of your diet. Field-grown potatoes are often heartier, more flavorful, and more sustainable than those grown in controlled environments like greenhouses.
The potato harvest process is a detailed and careful process, from preparing the fields and using the right equipment to ensuring the potatoes are stored properly. At Gwillimdale Farms, we’re proud to grow, harvest, and deliver field-grown potatoes that are not only nutritious but also sustainably produced. The next time you enjoy a serving of potatoes, you’ll know the hard work and dedication that went into bringing them from our fields to your plate!