Fit to Feed an Army
This sweet potato could be the vegetarian answer to the Thanksgiving turkey.
It looks the part, though Birgit Sharp — who grew the lookalike at American Chestnut Land Trust’s Double Oak Farm in Prince Frederick — calls it The Swan.
At 25 pounds, nine and one-quarter ounces, it’s big enough to do the job.
Certainly, it’s proof of the providential bounty of the earth and the ingenuity of its human farmers. It’s the product of hugelkulture beds, an innovative technique of farming in mounds of decaying wood debris and organic matter.
Sharing the bounty is also commonly practiced at Double Oak Farm, as staff and volunteers grow organic vegetables, fruits and herbs for donation to Calvert County food pantries. Stewardship of this good earth is a fundamental value of American Chestnut Land Trust, founded in 1986 to preserve natural woodlands surrounding Parker’s Creek.
Word is still out on whether the potato will meet the knife at a Thanksgiving table.