Potato yield at the Little Potato Company in Bow Island, farmed by Harry Lamberts.
the essential oil production takes place immediately. Special trucks coming in from the fields are hooked up and steam is pumped in. The distillation process, all computer programmed, has improved both the yield and quality of the product, said Thacker. The computer also determines at which point all the oil from the plant has been extracted.
The remaining organic product, in the trucks, already purified by the steam, is taken back to the fields. It is an ideal fertilizer and because it is purified will not result in any additional weeds that may result from manure or other fertilizers, said Thacker.
Cats like catnip but they aren't heading to the Thackers' farm like rats behind a pied piper. That is because they seem to know when there is enough of a good thing, said Thacker. On the farm it would be overpowering to a cat.
The impressive distillation process on the farm, the design of which has been modified by Thacker to perform optimally, also processes peppermint and spearmint essential oils. Most of that product is supplied for chewing gum and toothpaste, said Thacker.
After an early morning dew, or light rain, the fresh minty air from the farm wafts across hill and dale. Residents say it makes them want to take deep breaths of the fragrant fresh air.
Ask Thacker where the idea came from for such crop diversification and ingenuity and he'll tell you it's his father, now 105 years old, who encouraged him to think outside the box and explore
different ideas.
Last year, the Lamberts grew those little potatoes on 270 acres. They began harvesting at the end of August and were still digging them up on Oct. 15. The mountains of potatoes go through as many as 40 processes before they reach the point of shipping and that requires plenty of machinery.
The Lamberts use lots of European machinery but say they are still refining the process. One machine rubs a lot of the dirt off, another detects clods of soil and stones, while the next sorts them by size. Harry has altered machinery to suit his requirements and even made some himself.
Keeping the potatoes at the perfect temperature with sufficient air circulating around them is crucial, he said. Standing in the massive building on the farm, with insulation throughout, feels a little like a wind tunnel.
"The air is forced through the wooden boxes filled with potatoes," said Harry, looking at about 1,100 boxes each weighing about 1,300 kg. The wooden boxes, also made on site, have to strike a balance between allowing air to circulate without gaps that would allow the potatoes to escape.
Shipping to Edmonton continues into very early spring. The possible price increase towards the end of the season helps to compensate for the cost of storage in a computer controlled environment. The idea is to avoid any moisture loss in the potatoes, which would reduce the weight and make
25
Lynn Thacker stands in front of catnip he grows on his farm near Bow Island and is shipped to China and Taiwan for filling feline toys with.
them more susceptible to bruising. A computer panel measures and controls the temperature, humidity, and even Co2 levels.
Harry aims to have the whole building full next harvesting season.
"It's a very, very large investment," said Harry. "The risk we are willing to take." ■
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41243157•03/29/2016
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