Krista Reck

Hi Kate,
I’ve kept a strain of sour dough for 10 months. I killed the previous strain by adding teff flour.  Too much too fast?  not sure, but currently feed it with og white bread flour. I have a conventional/convection oven and an ooni pizza oven that uses wood pellets to make its heat.  I’ve baked loaves in pans, free from on stones, made cinnamon and cardamom buns, and pizza crusts with oo flour.    If you are short on testers, I am happy to throw my hat in the ring.  I don’t make a lot of time for permies, but I think this community is a great resource.  I’ve been to Wheaton Labs, and enjoyed meeting and interacting with the people there.  It was there I learned that you can spread your starter out in a thin layer, let it dry, crumble it up, and use it to bake with like dry yeast.  It is also a way to preserve the starter and you can start more from that powder too.
I can get any grain you specify.  There are several botique grain operations within a few hours of my home that I can order from.  

I don’t knit, but I wear socks.  I have discovered socks made from alpaca wool.  They are comfortable and durable.  I buy them from a small company that sources their fiber from their flock and a group of other alpaca farmers that have formed a co-op of sorts.  They also sell yarn.  I do no know if they add other fibers to the yarn, and there are a myriad of alpaca yarn producers so it’s just another rabbit hole to investigate if you like.  

I plant as many potatoes as I can on Good Friday.  It is 3-5 days after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.  I have several kinds that I saved from last year and several others that I ordered.  I plant them in a 4” trench and cover them.  Then hill them as they grow,  After they reach 12” or more I mulch with straw, or whatever I have around.
If it does not rain for more than 2 days I water them.  I use soaker hoses   Spacing the plants will influence potato size.  If you want lunkers, go for 18’ apart.  If you have fingerlings or want smaller potatoes, plant them 12” apart.  I almost never cut the potatoes in pieces before planting.  Usually that’s because I have to many to get in the ground and I don’t need more pieces to plant.  As far as the seeds that form, I usually let them be but have been told to pick them off because they detract energy from the growing plant.  Not sure how I can fit into your experiment.  I never plant them in the same ground two years in a row to discourage the potatoe beetles.  I ususally pick them off rather than using spray.  I was considering planting a companion plant with the potatoes, and can report on how that affects the crop.  Still have to decide which companion plant and if they will be in the rows or if there will be a pattern of 2-3 potato rows then a companion row and back to potatoes.   I could try more than one companion plant.  That would be my experiment.   To see if companion planting with potatoes is advantageous to growth and insect pressure.  

Judson,
I am excited to read your lenten gifts.  Thank you for spreading you knowledge.

I have been told to plant my potatoes on Good Friday.
Always had good results.