Round-Up & Fall Farming Festival

New Port Richey FarmNet Presents:

2017 New Port Richey Sweet Potato Round-Up & Fall Farming Festival

September 23, 11:00 – 1:00

Sponsored by Friendship Farm & Fare and Ecology Florida

Hosted by West Pasco Habitat for Humanity 4131 Madison Street

The Sweet Potato Round-Up will feature 100s of pounds of locally grown, heirloom, organic sweet potatoes, offered by FarmNet growers. These sweet potatoes have been grown (slip to harvest) without chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides. All have come from local farms and gardens in the New Port Richey area –within a few miles of the market. Several varieties will be offered, including: Georgia Jets, Beauregards, Centennials, and Nancy Halls. Sizes will vary from small (fingerlings) to extra-large, and quality will range from A (excellent) to C (damaged/flawed) – and priced accordingly. We'll even have the largest sweet potato we've seen in these parts – weighing in at over 5 pounds.

Note: Patrons are advised that these local, all natural sweet potatoes will look different from those found in commercial groceries, which sell only grade-A fancies. We'll be offering up the entire crop, which means there will be plenty that are strangely shaped and may have blemishes. These are also heirloom varieties, the type that simply are no longer marketed in the industrial food system. Buying and using these sweet potatoes supports local organic agriculture, local growers, community gardens, and the FarmNet market project. It also keeps resources in our community, and supports those who have made a commitment to this community. Besides the fresh spuds, we'll also have sweet potato recipes available, and samples of various ways to prepare sweet potatoes.

In addition to the Sweet Potato Round-Up, FarmNet is presenting its annual Fall Farming Festival. The festival will feature seeds and seedlings for your fall vegetable garden. Friendship Farms & Fare Springs Coast Watershed Seed Bank will have locally acclimated broccoli, gandules (pigeon peas), and arugula seeds and seedlings for sale. A wide assortment of other seeds and seedlings appropriate for fall and winter gardens will be on sale, including: kale, collards, swiss chard, cabbage, and other cool weather crops. We'll also have cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes, which are recommended for the fall.

All local organic growers are invited to join FarmNet, sell produce through our online market, participate in our weekly Saturday market, and receive special invitations to our seasonal local farming festivals.

Did you Know: Despite its name, the sweet potato is not related to the potato. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family, while potatoes are members of the Solanaceae family, which also includes tomatoes, red peppers and eggplant. Sweet potatoes are tuberous roots and potatoes are actually swollen stems. Despite a physical similarity, sweet potatoes and yams are not related either. However, most yams marketed in the United States are actually sweet potatoes, with a relatively moist texture and orange flesh.

Widely established throughout the world, the sweet potato is a favorite staple of many cultures and is an ingredient in many ethnic cuisines. Sweet potatoes have become more popular in the U.S. in recent years with consumption increasing nearly 80 percent between 2000 and 2014, reaching 7.5 pounds per capita. Growing consumer demand for sweet potatoes may be due to the promotion of the tuber’s health benefits. Sweet potatoes are higher in beta carotene than many other vegetables and are a source of potassium, fiber, and vitamins A and C (USDA ARS 2012). Linda Naeve "Sweet Potatoes" (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center) http://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/sweet-potatoe