Potatoes/ Seed potatoes....the same??

[Bubblingbrooks]

It does happen though.
The only reason we got blight in Alaska for the first time ever, was because someone planted out of state store bought potatoes.
Our state has a strict no shipping policy on seed potatoes.

 

[patandchickens]

To me the big difference is that seed potatoes come in varieties I want to plant, whereas a sack o supermarket potatoes comes in russet or yukon gold or unnamed red variety

Pat

 

[lwheelr]

There is a difference between hatching and eating eggs, even if they are from the same flock. Hatching eggs are harder to produce.

They have to be less than 2 weeks old, (generally less than 10 days), they have to be kept at different temperatures and handled more carefully. You can't just put them in the fridge and expect them to be good. Eating eggs can be kept much longer, and can be stored in the fridge.

You also have to be able to assure a fairly good fertility rate on them, or you won't get any repeat customers.

For potatoes, personally, I'd rather spend the extra, and have a higher chance of not wasting my time.

Potatoes are not created equal. They are handled differently in different areas across the US, and in various facilities. Standard commercial spuds are always treated with a chemical, but the amount, and the type, can vary. It will pretty much always negatively impact the growth rate and productivity, even if you wash it off, but some types and amounts can stop the potatoes from producing at all - they'll grow nicely, produce a lot of tops, but no potatoes underneath. I know this because I've experimented with it.

So I just can't see wasting two bucks and the time to plant, and end up with minimal or no harvest, instead of paying $10 and knowing that if I do my part, the work is usually going to pay off. I just don't have the time to gamble on a poor risk.

I often use commercially available organic potatoes instead of seed potatoes, simply because they are available, and seed potatoes aren't always.

 

[i_am2bz]

Speaking of trying to plant store-boughten taters...how big do the sprouts have to get before you can actually plant them? DH found a tater in the cupboard that has sprouted, thought I'd give it a go & see what happens...

 

[lwheelr]

Just toss it in at any stage. Actually, if the sprouts are very long, they are HARDER to plant, because you have to be careful not to break the sprouts off.

Normally potatoes are planted without any visible sprout length.

 

[BarefootMom]

Thanks for reminding me to put some taters up to plant. Last year we planted both store and seed...the store came up and the seed didn't. The year before we couldn't get any taters to come up (we only planted seed taters) SO I need to put some of my taters in the stairway so they can sprout. Last year by the time we got them in the garden they already had LEAVES. Got the most taters out of them!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Ten dollars a pound for seed potatoes?

They are 50 cents a pound at my feed store ... ??? Was getting ready to start some (because they have the varieties I want too) and hopefully a few pounds will produce enough potatoes. I have never grown them before ???

My eating eggs are handled the same as hatching eggs would be. I only have one "customer" since I only have a few hens and get about twice as much as I need. I always give her fresh eggs, laid within 2-3 days, and not washed or refrigerated. When the pastor asked for hatching eggs, I gave him her eggs saved up for a week and a half instead, and they ALL hatched.

 

[lwheelr]

If you are in the US, Federal regulations require that eating eggs be under refrigeration continuously except during necessary handling or transfer, and that they have specific labeling on them about refrigeration. There are a bunch of USDA regs on selling eggs, and most states have additional regulations pertaining to the sale of uninspected/ungraded farm eggs. There are also limits on the amount you can sell in a single sale, and the number of hens you can have - they are fairly substantial numbers, but it is wise to know them. A rancher near us was fined and slapped for selling ungraded/uninspected eggs in-state, because he had more than the USDA allowed number of hens for doing so.

 

[BarefootMom]

If you are in the US, Federal regulations require that eating eggs be under refrigeration continuously except during necessary handling or transfer, and that they have specific labeling on them about refrigeration. There are a bunch of USDA regs on selling eggs, and most states have additional regulations pertaining to the sale of uninspected/ungraded farm eggs. There are also limits on the amount you can sell in a single sale, and the number of hens you can have - they are fairly substantial numbers, but it is wise to know them. A rancher near us was fined and slapped for selling ungraded/uninspected eggs in-state, because he had more than the USDA allowed number of hens for doing so.

He must have been selling a LOT of eggs! Our state requirement is a flock of 3,000 chickens or more.

 

[lwheelr]

Actually, he wasn't selling that many eggs. He was selling quail, partridge, and pheasants. He sold a limited amount of chicken and quail eggs for human consumption, but since he had all that breeding stock, he exceeded the limit.

The Federal limit is 3000 HENS. Roos of any species don't count. But that counts every single type of fowl you may have on premises, including guineas, turkeys, ducks, gamebirds, etc, not just the ones you are selling eggs from.

Like I said, it is a large number, but if you sell eggs, you better read up on both the federal and state regs, or you can get into big trouble. New legislation may have changed them also, so you have to keep up with them too.