harvest

Sunchoke harvest of 2011.

This year was the first crack at our perennial root harvest. They aren't quite potatoes, but almost. These tubers are known as sunchokes, or Jeruselum artichokes. Really they aren't artichokes at all but the perennial sunflower, Helianthus tuberosus.

Two or three years ago (I can't remember exactly) we planted the sunchokes with the hopes of getting a yearly harvest. For the first couple years they were just left to populate the soil. We didn't want to over harvest them for fear of harvesting viable populations of tubers too fast. First rule of foraging, only take what can be sustained by the system, even if it is in your own back yard!

So we left them, and left them another year. Finally, the third year, we could harvest. Tim is very happy about this as he just LOVES sunchokes. When we first bought tubers from Whole Circle Farm he was very sad that we couldn't eat them. But we did manage to keep them for the winter and plant them in anticipation of yearly harvests down the road.

And here it is.  This lot came from perhaps 3-5 foot area square. Just a small space. We thought this was a great harvest from such a small space, especially compared to growing potatoes in a similar space. It was only a fraction of what we could have harvested as you  see.

Sunchokes harvested.

We have two areas of sunchokes. One beside our annual gardens in a kind of sun trap. It is beside a large erratic boulder brought in during the ice age. It is a warm little spot at the edge of some tall spruce trees.The second plating is along the front fence of the house. We wanted to ensure that we had a sizeable harvest every year, to test different growing conditions, and to provide a visual barrier from the road.

Sunchokes are very versatile. Not only can we eat them, but they can be used as winter feed for animals, as a silage feed, and have potential as a biodigester crop. Talk about a top 10 permaculture plant!

Stems from the sunchokes, a lot of biomass.

So we harvested this lot. Of course we aren't in a position to create silage and don't have a biodigester so what do we do with the stalks?

The best stalks were picked and are drying in the greenhouse. Maybe they will make good wood substitutes for simple fencing, as bowdrills for fire making, or who knows. Not too sure how they will be used, but I am sure we will be able to find SOMETHING to do with them.

Sunchoke stems drying.