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CHURCHILLTEEN EYEES COWGIRL EYES OWGII L TITLE ITLEE - PAGE AGE 4
VICTORIAN ICTORIIAN N COUNTRY OU UNTT CHAMPIONSHIPS HAM M ION NSH HI S IN TRARALGON RARALLGON N - SPORT PO O
COUNTRY OU UNTR RY ST STAR TAR R LEE EE KERNAGHAN E NAGH HAN N CHATS HATTS WITH ITH H US S - PA PAGE AGEE 17
The spud season is underway in Thorpdale. Pictured are local farmers Des and Stuart Jennings and Geoff Stritch. photograph liam durkin.
SPUD HARVEST By LIAM DURKIN
LIKE KE E Chri ristmas, i some things come arr around every ry y year ar, r and an n in Thorp rpdal p ale, l it is the spud har arv rvest. v The har arv rvest v season star art rted t recently an and n is set to run ru u until mid-May. It wil ill be all systems go getting tonnes of potatoes out of paddocks, into sorting sheds and onto trucks making their way to various destinations across Australia.
The world’s most versatile vegetable has become syn ynonym n ymous m wii the with smal all l far arming r community ty, y as generations of growers have continued in the footsteps of their predecessors. Thorp rpdal p ale l far armer r Stuar art rt Jennings is one such, and an n is growi wing i g around arr 70 acres of potatoes this year. “It’s (Thorpdale) fairly unique being a small area with a high rate of production,” he said.
“It hasn’t real ally l got going yet but another an n week it will wii be the silly season.” With Thorp rpdal p ale l located inside a former volcan anic n crater, the rich rii red soil of the area arr mak akes k it ideal all for growi wing i g potatoes. The remarkably sticky red soil has almost become as well known in Thorpdale as the potato itself, and has led to many mothers refusing to
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let their children wear arr white shirt rts t or socks. Shoppers traversing their local all supermar arket r or wholesal aler l may see some potato var ari rieties i grown wn n in Thorp rpdal p ale. l “T Things that people would recognise would be things like Dutch Creams and Sebago’s,” Jennings said. Continued on page 12
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