Potato Harvest

About two weeks ago, it was that time of year again, where the kindergartners harvest the potatoes they had planted the previous year. Ogimi kids have it made as they can just walk outside and start digging. The kids in Naha (the big city), however, have to make a 1.5 hour trip north to Yomitan. Suckers.

Digging for Potatoes

There are two big potato events at my schools every year: the planting and the harvesting. Each school has their own schedule, but the kindergarten always does it on Mondays, aligning perfectly with my schedule. Yesterday was harvesting, and I was loaned a pair of 26 cm workboots...roughly a size 8. Since I wear a 14, they were a little tight, but since I wasn't really walking in them (just standing around with a shovel), I was able to manage for an hour.

This year we dug up about 44 kg (97 lbs) worth of potatoes, which was divided up among the teachers and students to take home.

Living out in the country, each school has their own garden. The city schools, however, don't. So if they want their kids to have some gardening experience, they make a field trip out of it and drive up north.