Heirloom Seeds & Poultry
1878 230th Street, Calamus, IA 52729
(563) 246-2299
Sweet Potatoes
(259 varieties to choose from, well before the Derecho of 2020, now we are struggling to recover)
Please note the photos were taken in April ( where the root is cut open)and the sweet potatoes were dug in early October. This is to give an indication of the storage capabilities of each variety. All of our written descriptions are made from freshly dug roots in October and as the roots age colors change on many. The skin surfaces become duller and the flesh colors yellow in white varieties. All of these photos were taken on the top of a freezer underneath grow lights in the basement where the roots are stored. We are still working with the program as some appear fine on the view screen and then do not show up online the same way.
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We are very sorry for all of the unavailable varieties. On August 9,2020 we tilled between the rows in anticipation of an upcoming rain storm. As we plant on black plastic and our soil is very sandy it makes planning for tillage before a rain a necessity to make the best use of the moisture. Our soil is quirky and if not disturbed after a rain will actually hold the moisture down a few inches very well but if tilled after a rain will wick out the moisture quickly. On August 10 we had a Derecho or land hurricane that gave us 100 mph winds for close to an hour and the devastation was great. We were blessed with no lost buildings or livestock but many all across the state lost homes, buildings and had near total devastation. Our worst damage was the areas where I tilled the day before and the loose sand was picked up by the wind and ripped the plastic out of the ground and literally rolled the plants up like you would roll up a soft shell taco . We lost many sweet potatoes and tomatoes and peppers. Where we have a supply of sweet potatoes they were planted in another section that had not been tilled and they did very well. We will work overtime to try to get things all back to normal ASAP. We sure hope we do not totally lose any varieties.
We are hopeful some of the lost ones are still in someones hands and we can get them back. Please contact us if you know of the whereabouts of any of the missing ones.
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FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO ORDER THE ASSORTMENTS THEY ARE FOUND IN THE ORDERING INFORMATION SECTION. PLEASE RESPECT THE MAXIMUM SLIPS AVAILABLE FOR THIS YEAR.
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8633
8633 - Early. Bush, normal leaf, reddish-orange skin, orange flesh, above average yield. A great producer but a less than ideal slip producer. Erratic slip production is the biggest issue with this variety and makes supply a bit challenging again this year .This is one variety that tends to start starting about mid June in abundance. Certified Organic Slips, 6 for $10.00, 12 for $17.50.
Acadian
Acadian- Early-midseason, bush, normal leaf, deep copper orange skin and flesh. Slip production is too difficult to predict so we will be working on a method to get a more reliable crop. We hope to offer this variety as soon as we get the quirks worked out. Certified Organic Slips, UNAVAILABLE FOR 2023. ANYONE WITH THIS PLEASE CONTACT US. WE LOST ALL INTHE DERECHO OF 2020.
Allgold
Allgold - Early. Vining, tan skin with orange flesh, heavy yields. It does best in heavy soils. In our loosest sand it is difficult to get the roots dug without breaking them. In our “heavier” soil areas, it does fine. Introduced in 1952 by Oklahoma. State. Certified Organic Slips. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2023. ANYONE WITH THIS PLEASE CONTACT US. WE LOST ALL INTHE DERECHO OF 2020.
Amish White Bunch
Amish White Bunch
(Heirloom Variety) Early/ Mid-season. Vining, normal leaf, cream colored skin, creamy white flesh. Roots are primarily directly under the plant. Certified Organic Slips. Thanks to Catherine Walters and the Lepperts for saving this one. 6 slips for $10.00, 12 slips for $17.50, 25 slips for $32.00, 50 slips for $60.00.
Apache
Apache - Early/midseason. Vining, normal leaf, pale orange skin and flesh, above average yield. Developed by the USDA in 1959 from a cross of Yellow Yam and Nancy Hall with a cross of Pelican Processor and Triumph. Certified Organic Slip. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2023. Should be back in 2024, heavy rabbit damage in 2022.
Beauregard
Beauregard- Early. Vining, normal leaves, red orange skin, orange flesh, above average yield. Roots get huge, but the flavor and texture are not as good as some of the heirlooms. Developed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1987. Certified Organic Slips.Back in 2024, nearly destroyed by rabbits.
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice (formerly W-392) - Early/Mid-season. Semi-bush, deep cut leaves, readily flowers. Copper pink-orange skin, pale orange flesh, good yields. In 2012, when we were hit hard with Japanese Beetles, this variety was covered day after day in the starting bed with beetles. In 2013, with less beetles, we still could find this variety covered with Japanese Beetles to the point where it glistened from 200 feet away. They were attracted to it now (2015) 3 years in a row. It made spraying easy as the bugs concentrated on this variety. Saved spray (Organic Pyganic), saved time and still this variety produced a great crop. Only problem is that it is not a prolific sprouter. Certified Organic Slips, 6 slips for $10.00.
Canada Beauty
Canada Beauty- Early. vining, rapid viner and thin but thick dense foliage. Very high yields of pale orange fleshed pinkish skinned roots. One would not normally think of having such great yields early on from a variety that has so much vine growth . Certified Organic Slips, Back in 2024, first the rabbits grubbed them to the ground, then they bounced back and the voles got them under the ground.
Continental Red
Continental Red- (Heirloom Variety) Early. Semi-bush, cut leaf, pink-red skin, light orange flesh, above average yield. Edmond Brown in southern Missouri obtained this one in the early 1990’s. Thanks to Catherine Walters and Dan Livingston for saving this one. Certified Organic slips. 6 slips for $10.00, 12 slips for $17.50, 25 slips for $32.00.
Cook's Family Heirloom
Cook’s Family Heirloom- Early. Vining, normal leaves, many pink red skinned orange flesh roots under the plant. Very high yields. For the best storage they need to be dug prior to the soil becoming cold or wet. Certified Organic Slips. 3 slips for $10.00. Thanks to Jared Scoville for saving it.
Delaware Purple
Delaware Purple - Early. Purple red skin, intense white flesh, vigorous vines, fantastic yields. This one never seems to fail with nice uniform roots. We routinely make late plantings around July 18and still get a decent yield of uniform roots by October 2. Certified Organic Slips, 6 slips for $10.00, 12 slips for $17.50, 25 slips for $32.00
Edna Evans
Edna Evans- (Heirloom Variety) Mid-season. Vining, normal leaf, salmon colored skin, orange flesh, average yields. Barbara Lund originally gathered this one from the rural parts of Ohio. Thanks to Catherine Walters for saving this. Certified Organic Slips. 6 slips for $10.00, 12 slips for $17.50, 25 slips for $32.00.
Eureka
Eureka - Mid-season. Vigorous vines, normal leaf, carrot orange skin, orange flesh, roots tend to be large carrot shape , thin and very long in great abundance, average yield. I think this one would be great for heavy clay soils as it should force the roots to plump up. Certified Organic Slips.UNAVAILABLE FOR 2023. ANYONE WITH THIS PLEASE CONTACT US. WE LOST ALL IN THE DERECHO OF 2020.
Georgia Jet
Georgia Jet- Early. Vining, normal leaf, pink-/red skin, orange flesh, above average yield. While this continues to be a popular variety, I find it to be one of the least desirable ones to grow. Yes, it is early. Yes, it gets big, but it cooks up mushy It doesn’t have the flavor or resistance to cracking that some of the other varieties we carry have. We sincerely hope that you will try some of the more flavorful heirlooms that we offer. While you may not get an 8 to 10 pound “whopper”, you’re going to get something that will tantalize your taste buds with the heirlooms. We have been working with a new clone of this from Duck Creek Farms and it has much better crack resistance. In 2017 we planted our crop July 6 and harvested in early October with over 99% usable sized crack free roots. We hope to continue to select for top quality roots. 2018 also proved to see this selection rise in favorability. 2019 showed continued good quality crack free roots. Certified Organic Slips, 6 slips for $10.00 , 12 slips for $17.50.
Georgia Red
Georgia Red- Mid-season. Semi-bush, normal leaf, tan/orange skin, deep orange flesh, above average yield. While this has the name Georgia Red, it has always been the same color as indicated above (and has never been red) I’ve grown it for over 20 years. This may not be the same sweet potato that people in the South call Georgia Red. Certified Organic Slips, Unavailable for 2023, RABBITS.
Ginseng Red
Ginseng Red- (Heirloom Variety) Early. Large, semi-bush, cut leaf, pinkish/red skin, light orange flesh, excellent yield. Obtained in 1989 from Benny Michiti in Virginia whose wife’s father had been growing it for over 40 years. Flavor improves if kept for 6 weeks. Thanks to Catherine Walters for saving this. Certified Organic Slips. 6 slips for $10.00, 12 slips for $17.50, 25 slips for $32.00.