Fruit and Bread Barn, help wanted and more on urban potato farming

You all may get bored of me talking about planting potatoes by the time I finally manage to do it, but at least you'll get pictures and a clear story of how it works out once I try a few methods of urban potato farming. I'm going to try multiple types.

We just got home from the Fruit and Bread barn. Unfortunatly they threw out the potatoes I was going to plant. They were a buck per bag of fingerling potatoes that had eyes all over them but were otherwise fine. Edible sitll if you cut off the eyes, or perfect for planting. If you haven't tried fresh grown potatoes, they are sweeter and earthier tasting than the bland store bought ones usually are. Fingerling potatoes are something I really enjoy, so I was thinking I'd buy 2 bags and plant a few different types of potato gardens. One set at my house, one set at 1st Ave house, and one set at another undecided location, then compare the results over time.


"That's too bad!" I said, "They were perfect for planting" "Huh, people don't usually think like that." She replied. Well... sometimes people need a little help to be aware of such things. I probably would not have thought of it that way if I hadn't been talking with local urban gardeners a lot lately and looking for cheap, organic produce or seeds that would grow well in Phoenix and could be grown by urban gardeners in small spaces. Next time they should put a sign up with them that says that, "Perfect for planting!" because yeah sure, you can buy any potatoes, treat them right, and they'll grow eyes and soon be ready for planting. You can, but those were cheap and ready! Oh shoot, I just had a thought that I should have asked where they disposed of them I probably could have picked them out of their compost pile for free. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow and ask :D

On a successful note, we did manage to get every fruit and vegetable on my list for the various meals we will be trying in the next few days. Plus they had some great day old bread which is going to be perfect for toast and paninis, and one of the recipes I found was for paninis. Plus we got some delicious looking preserved cherries from a small orchard grower. I am going to use them on lamb rib chops which I've heard called Lamb Lollipops. After I try the recipe I'll let you know how it goes and pass it on. They put the whole of what we bought into a box that fruit probably had been delivered to them in, and which I will use to put starter soil in and start a bunch of seeds growing and ready for transplant.

P.S. They also had a notice up that they're looking for a full time employee. I wish I could work full time there, it would be a job I'd really enjoy, especially if they'd let me play in their garden and care for their compost. I know that sounds odd, but I do enjoy those things and it would be great to get paid to do them. Plus it's such a small and local store that would be a neat atmosphere I'd think. If you're looking for work and this sounds up your alley, they're on Baseline near 24th Street just down and across the street from PetSmart. I didn't ask about what the job entails, so you'll have to do that on your own