Frequently Asked Questions
Because of the mild climate of southern and central California, we can grow potatoes almost nine months out of the year.
Cal-Organic currently grows potatoes in California in the Bakersfield, Cuyama, Tehachapi, Coachella and El Centro areas.
We grow about 10 different varieties that are classified as red, white, gold, fingerling, and russet potatoes.
A potato seed is simply a regular potato or a piece of a potato containing an eye that has been replanted back into the ground that will sprout and begin to grow again.
Depending on the variety and type (red, white, gold, russet) one potato plant can produce 8 to 30 potatoes.
It takes about 100 – 120 days to grow a potato to full maturity.
Depending on the variety, there can be between 17,000 to 22,000 potato plants in one acre.
Organic does not automatically mean pesticide or chemical free. It does mean that any product used must be derived from naturals sources, not synthetically manufactured. The use of any approved product is considered carefully and reviewed carefully prior to application.
Organic potatoes should be refrigerated for longest shelf life as no sprout inhibitors are used. The key to using potatoes that have been refrigerated is to take them out of the refrigerator at least 24 hours prior to use. When a potato is refrigerated, the starches turn into sugars; which affects the taste of the potato. By allowing the potatoes to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours prior to use allows those sugars to convert back into starches.
From seed to harvest is 65 – 120 days. The outer leaves can be harvested and the inner leaves will continue to grow allowing for additional harvests from the same plant. Younger leaves will have a lighter flavor and mature leaves will be more pungent and bolder in flavor.
“Organic” foods are grown and processed using organic means and must meet or exceed the standards for organic certification as defined by the USDA and other certifying bodies. The guidelines for “natural” are not as well defined.
You can certainly freeze our carrots to preserve their freshness. First trim them down, then blanch them to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria before placing them in the freezer.
Organic refers to the way produce is grown, and the USDA seal signifies that organic fruit and vegetables were farmed free of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and GMOs. From planting seeds to stocking shelves, every step in the supply chain is certified to ensure the integrity of our organic produce.
No, our products do not contain any genetically modified organisms.
Great question! It is important to keep your fruits and veggies fresh. Check out the Our Products page on the Cal-Organic Farms website (http://calorganicfarms.com/our-products/) for storage tips on each of the items we grow. You can also check out our Fresh Produce Guide (http://www.calorganicfarms.com/fresh-produce-guide/mobile/index.html) for storage tips, flavor profiles, prep instructions and recipe ideas!
Absolutely! Those tops are just as tasty as their tails, and they’re also very nutritious. You can cook them down similar to way you would cook spinach, or you can serve them raw in salads, steamed, boiled or sautéed.
Organic farmers build up populations of beneficial insects and spiders to eliminate pests naturally. At Cal-Organic Farms, we often use ladybugs, wasps, hoverflies and lacewings for pest control. While there are organic pesticides available, we are very conservative in our use of even approved organic pesticides as they eliminate the beneficial insects we rely on.
Yes—make sure to cut the sprouts out of the potatoes first, then steam them, bake them, grill them or mash them. Be sure to check out a couple of the tasty potato recipes on the Cal-Organic website (links to mustard roasted baby gold potatoes recipe and Greek-style roasted red potatoes recipe).
Yes, but we recommend peeling away the green before preparation.
Yes, we recommend that you always wash fruits and veggies unless they’re sold as a ready-to-eat product, like shredded carrots and carrot chips.
Yes, all of our products are naturally gluten free.
Baby carrots are actually not grown bite-size: they’re bred to be long and slender, then they’re cut into 2-inch pieces and peeled to become healthy, ready-to-eat treats.