What is my personal philosophy? My name is Mark Biernat, and I live in Saint Augustine, Florida. I grow sweet potatoes, and I am an academic researcher. Balancing physical and mental work makes us grounded and reminds us where we came from, which I think we should never forget.
What is my growing philosophy? We are a family-owned small-scale grower of Sweet Potato Starts based on sustainable agriculture and innovative sustainable practices. I use zero chemicals. We are certified and inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture.
- It is March 2023. I am currently selling Yukon Gold Seed Potatoes. These are regular potatoes—it’s time to plant them from Florida to the North to New England.
- Buy them here: Seed Potatoes.
- My Sweet Potatoes are ready, but only the mixed variety and limited quantity. I am doing my best to get everything online as soon as possible.
- If you live in USDA growing zones 11, 10, 9, and 8, plants both now. Get them in the ground. Early is better than late in warm regions.
Plant Sweet Potatoes in the Warmer Regions now
If you live in USDA growing Zones where the soil temp is 60 degrees (tarp if you have a frost), plant these -> Sweet Potato Slips.
Growing sweet potatoes will yield scores of healthy and tasty sweet potatoes. They can be transformed into fries, juiced, side dishes, or the main meal. The greens are like summer spinach. They will save you money and start you on the road to food security or just a lot of fun to grow.
Why Grow Sweet Potatoes in your Garden?
- Taste -100% different than anything store-bought. You will not even recognize the taste; you can cure them or eat them fresh, depending on whether you like a sweet or non-sweet. I can not even eat store-bought. These are super yummy from the garden.
- Super nutritious -You can research this. I do not want the FDA breathing down my neck for claims but look it up; they are like blueberries in terms of antioxidants.
- Climate adaptation and low Low maintenance – Plant and walk away, take a vacation for the summer, and come back, and your yard will be covered with sweet potatoes (also less to mow). The first year I went on vacation to Montreal (I drove up in one day), and when I got back, they were all over my porch. It looked amazing.
- Versatile in the kitchen – Everyone grows tomatoes and kale these days. Dare to be different in the garden and kitchen. I juice them or make steak fries with some turmeric. You can bake them and have them as a meal with some imagination. There are a zillion receipts for sweet potatoes online.
- Save the planet – I know it sounds like greenwashing, but they indeed help the planet; they need very little nitrogen, grow almost anywhere, and can really help developing nations with food. It is the top survival crop in my book (I was thinking of writing a book on it). Food is really an allocation issue instead of a supply issue. The key is to get people to grow locally sustainable crops.
- Fun – In life, there are things that are fun and things that are unfun. Growing sweet potatoes are fun. You will see why when you grow them.
All my sweet potatoes are:
- Drought resistant – They survive until the next rain, then take off faster.
- Flood resistant – We get rain during our rainy season. You would think it is the end of the world. They survive hurricanes here. They come out greener and bigger.
- Poor Soil – No problem, they have adapted to this. In fact, too much N will make them leaf out.
- Extreme heat – They will grow bigger.
- Weeds are not an issue; they will overtake them until you see a field of green edible sweet potato leaves.
- Insects are a joke to these tubers – I live near a forest and a swamp in the jungle of Florida and have never sprayed them with anything.
I have customers growing them from Alaska to Vermont to South Florida. They seem to grow anywhere as long as the soil temperatures exceed 65 for 18 c. I also use organic-based practices, but to keep it simple, just grow them in your native soil and use the resources around you. I have never used any chemicals, zero. I work smart and with nature and think my yields and quality are superior.
If you want to try to grow them, you will probably succeed even if you have no green thumb. I cultivated them this way with unique varieties and methods. The genetic varieties matter for survival. I give you roots and vines. Each has its own advantages; plant them both.
Growing sweet potatoes for charity – Some people give their produce to a food bank, a homeless shelter, neighbors, and family for good social credit, altruism, or holiday gifts. This is a better gift than something store-bought with empty calories in a shiny package or can. Whatever your reason for growing, give my sweet potatoes a try; they are out of this world.
They are yummy, nutrient-dense, and fun to grow. I would love to see them make it to a Martian Colony.