Okinawan / Japanese Sweet Potatoes, Health Benefits

The sweet potatoes that we are talking about have a deep purple skin as well as deep purple flesh.  Deep purple all the way through.  We've been growing these for about 4 years.

We are able to store these potatoes until early spring.  Before they start to sprout, I make and freeze enough mashed purple sweet potatoes to last until the next harvest.

I have cut and pasted some of the more interesting info that I found online below along with links.

Mac


More antioxidants than blueberries

"Blueberries are well known for their high antioxidant levels, however, the Okinawan sweet potato actually has 150 percent more antioxidants than blueberries.⁶ Antioxidants help to guard against cardiovascular disease and cancer."

http://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/okinawan-sweet-potato-purple-powerhouse-nutrition


Antioxidants

"Yet beta-carotene only begins to tell the story of sweet potato antioxidants. Particularly in purple-fleshed sweet potato, antioxidant anthocyanin pigments are abundant. Cyanidins and peonidins are concentrated in the starchy core of part of purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, and these antioxidant nutrients may be even more concentrated in the flesh than in the skin. That's sweet potatoes have genes (IbMYB1 and IbMYB2) that are specialized for the production of anthocyanin pigments in the fleshy part of the tuber. Ordinary, we have to rely on the skins of foods for this same level of anthocyanin antioxidants. But not in the case of sweet potatoes! Extracts from the highly pigmented and colorful purple-fleshed and purple-skinned sweet potatoes have been shown in research studies to increased the activity of two key antioxidant enzymes—copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and catalase (CAT).

Recent research has shown that particularly when passing through our digestive tract, sweet potato cyanidins and peonidins and other color-related phytonutrients may be able to lower the potential health risk posed by heavy metals and oxygen radicals. That risk reduction might be important not only for individuals at risk of digestive tract problems but for all persons wanting to reduce the potential risk posed by the presence of heavy metal residues (like small amounts of mercury or cadmium or arsenic) in their diet.

Storage proteins in sweet potato also have important antioxidant properties. These storage proteins—called sporamins—get produced by sweet potato plants whenever the plants are subjected to physical damage. Their ability to help the plants heal from this damage is significantly related to their role as antioxidants. Especially when sweet potato is being digested inside of our gastrointestinal tract, we may get some of these same antioxidant benefits.

Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients in Sweet Potato

Anthocyanin and other color-related pigments in sweet potato are equally valuable for their anti-inflammatory health benefits. In the case of inflammation, scientists understand even more about the amazing properties of this tuber. In animal studies, activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB); activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2); and formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) have all be shown to get reduced following consumption of either sweet potato or its color-containing extracts. Since each of these events can play a key role in the development of unwanted inflammation, their reduction by sweet potato phytonutrients marks a clear role for this food in inflammation-related health problems. In animal studies, reduced inflammation following sweet potato consumption has been shown in brain tissue and nerve tissue throughout the body.

What's equally fascinating about color-related sweet potato phytonutrients is their impact on fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is one of the key glycoproteins in the body that is required for successful blood clotting. With the help of a coagulation factor called thrombin, fibronogen gets converted into fibrin during the blood clotting process. Balanced amounts of fibrinogen, thrombin and fibrin are a key part of the body's health and its ability to close off wounds and stop loss of blood. However, excess amounts of these clotting-related molecules may sometimes pose a health risk. For example, excess presence of fibrinogen and fibrin can trigger unwanted secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules (including cytokines and chemokines). In animal studies, too much fibrin in the central nervous system has been associated with breakdown of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves and allows them to conduct electrical signals properly. If fibrin excess can trigger unwanted inflammation in nerve tissue and increase breakdown of the myelin wrapping the nerve cells (a process that is usually referred to as demyelination), health problems like multiple sclerosis (in which there is breakdown of the myelin nerve sheath) may be lessened through reduction of excess fibrinogen and/or fibrin. In preliminary animal studies, intake of sweet potato color extracts have been shown to accomplish exactly those results: reduction of inflammation, and simultaneous reduction of fibronogen levels. We look forward to exciting new research in this area of sweet potato's anti-inflammatory benefits.

Potential Improvement of Blood Sugar Regulation

Many people think about starchy root vegetables as a food group that could not possibly be helpful for controlling their blood sugar. That's because many people realize that food starches can be converted by our digestive tract into simple sugars. If foods are especially concentrated in starch, there can often be a risk of too much simple sugar release in our digestive tract and too much pressure upon our bloodstream to uptake more sugar. (The result in this situation would be an overly quick elevation of our blood sugar level.) What's fascinating about sweet potatoes is their ability to potentially improve blood sugar regulation—even in persons with type 2 diabetes— in spite of their glycemic index (GI) rating of medium. (Sweet potatoes are one of four WHFoods vegetables that have a GI ranking of medium. The other three vegetables are beets, corn, and leeks.) The 6.6 grams of dietary fiber in a medium sweet potato are definitely a plus in terms of blood sugar regulation, since they help steady the pace of digestion. But recent research has also shown that extracts from sweet potatoes can significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin in persons with type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein hormone produced by our fat cells, and it serves as an important modifier of insulin metabolism. Persons with poorly-regulated insulin metabolism and insulin insensitivity tend to have lower levels of adiponectin, and persons with healthier insulin metabolism tend to have higher levels. While more research on much larger groups of individuals to further evaluate and confirm these blood sugar regulating benefits, this area of health research is an especially exciting one for anyone who loves sweet potatoes but is nevertheless concerned about healthy blood sugar regulation.

Other Potential Health Benefits

One of the more intriguing nutrient groups provided by sweet potatoes—yet one of the least studied from a health standpoint—are the resin glycosides. These nutrients are sugar-related and starch-related molecules that are unusual in their arrangement of carbohydrate-related components, and also in their inclusion of some non-carbohydrate molecules. In sweet potatoes, researchers have long been aware of one group of resin glycosides called batatins (including batatin I and batatin II). But only recently have researchers discovered a related group of glycosides in sweet potato called batatosides (including batatodide III, batatoside IV, and batatoside V). In lab studies, most of these sweet potato glycosides have been shown to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. To what extent these carbohydrate-related molecules in sweet potatoes can provide us with health benefits in these same antibacterial and antifungal areas is not yet clear. But we expect to see increasing interest in sweet potato's batatins and batatosides and their potential to support our health."

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=64&tname=foodspice

 

 

Anthocyanins and cancer risk

"Summary: Purple sweet potatoes have high contents of anthocyanin, and anthocyanins have been epidemiologically associated with a reduced cancer risk."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629132250.htm 

 

 

Sweet potato leaves make a high quality rabbit feed.

 

"Sweet potato leaves are high in protein (ranging from 25-30%), similar to that of temperate legumes. Rabbits only require 16% protein in their diet for normal growth and reproduction."

http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/Meat%20Rabbits%20Finished%20on%20Sweet%20Potato%20Forage%20Looks%20Good%20in%20Texas%20Research.pdf

 

Sustainable Soil Fertility Plan

Below is the rough draft of a sustainable soil fertility plan that I'm working on.

Mac

Wood Ash

 

"Calcium is the most abundant nutrient, averaging almost 20 percent of the ash. (As we will see later, this means that ash can be used to raise soil pH, just as agricultural lime is used.) If you applied five tons of ash per acre, you would be applying about one ton of calcium. Compared to calcium, other nutrients are present in much smaller amounts. Wood ash is about four percent potassium, and less than two percent phosphorus, magnesium, aluminum and sodium. The small amounts of these nutrients is the reason that ash is considered a “low grade” fertilizer. In terms of commercial fertilizer, average wood ash would be about 0-1-3 (N-P-K)."

 

The University of Maine - Cooperative Extension Publications - Bulletin #2279, Using Wood Ash on Your Farm

http://umaine.edu/publications/2279e/

 

Nitrogen - Crimson Clover

 

I made some silage a few years ago from young abruzzi rye grass.  It occurred that maybe this could be done with crimson clover to store it as a nitrogen rich soil amendment without drying it.  I packed the green rye into a 55 gallon plastic barrel, stomping it down tight.  It was pretty amazing how much rye I was able to get into that barrel.

 

This pdf mentions crimson clover silage. Also about fertilizing with P and K. Silage would be one step process with less labor than making dried hay.


http://www.aaes.auburn.edu/comm/pubs/bulletins/bull335.pdf

 

 

Nitrogen - Human Urine

 

Gee Whiz: Human Urine Is Shown to Be an Effective Agricultural Fertilizer: Scientific American

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=human-urine-is-an-effective-fertilizer


Can Human Urine Replace Chemical Fertilizers? http://modernfarmer.com/2014/01/human-pee-proven-fertilizer-future/
 

 

Wood Ash - Phosphate (P), Potash (K), Soil pH

 

Wood Ashes Can Benefit Gardens...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – As we move into the season of burning wood, consider saving the ashes for the lawn and garden, while remembering a few precautions.

Because wood ash is derived from plant material, it contains most of the 13 essential nutrients the soil supplies for plant growth, according to Dan Sullivan, OSU Extension soil scientist.

"When wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gas," Sullivan said, "but calcium, potassium, magnesium and other trace elements remain. The carbonates and oxides in the ash are valuable liming agents that can raise pH and help neutralize acid soils."

The fertilizer value of wood ash depends on the type of wood. According to Sullivan, hardwoods produce about three times the ash and five times the nutrients per cord as softwoods. A cord of oak provides enough potassium for a garden 60 by 70 feet. A cord of Douglas fir ash supplies enough potassium for a garden 30 by 30 feet.

Both types of wood ash will reduce soil acidity slightly. Where soils are acid and low in potassium, wood ash is beneficial to most garden plants. Do not use ash if your soil pH is alkaline (more than 7.0).

Do not apply wood ash to acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas; nor to areas where potatoes will be planted; wood ash can promote potato scab.

Lawns that need lime and potassium also can benefit from wood ash. Apply no more than 10 to 15 pounds of ash per 1,000 square feet of lawn.

Wood ash also will add nutrients to compost. Mix it into your compost pile as you build the pile.

"Remember that wood ash is alkaline, which means it has a high pH level," Sullivan said. "You should use the same precautions with it as when handling other strongly alkaline materials, such as household bleach."

Among Sullivan’s suggestions:

•  Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask.
• Do not scatter ashes in the wind. Apply recommended amounts to moist soil and rake lightly to mix.
• Do not use ash from burning trash, cardboard, coal or pressure-treated, painted or stained wood. These materials can contain potentially harmful substances. For example, the glue in cardboard boxes and paper bags contains boron, an element that can inhibit plant growth at excessive levels.
• Never leave wood ash in lumps or piles. If it is concentrated in one place, excessive salt from the ash can leach into the soil and create a harmful environment for plants.
• Do not apply ash at time of seeding. Ash contains too many salts for seedlings.

Wood ashes can benefit gardens and lawns | Oregon State University Extension Service | Gardening

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/1022


Granite Dust (Silt) - Potash (K)

Granite dust is often sold as a "slowly available" potash source for organic production. Total potash contents in granite dust typically vary from 1 to 5%, depending on overall mineral composition of the rock, but granite is mostly feldspar, a mineral with low solubility. Therefore, little potash fertility is derived from this material."

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=284

The MSDS sheet for granite from Martin Marietta in Raleigh, NC lists granite as containing 4-5% K2O.

http://www.martinmarietta.com/products/MSDS-Granite.pdf


Bone Meal - Phosphate (P)

Bone meal is so well known, especially in horticulture, that it can hardly be considered an alternative product. Typically it contains about 27% total phosphate, and nearly all of that is available. There is a great deal of confusion about the phosphate content of bone meal because much of it is sold as a feed additive. In the feed industry, phosphorus is expressed on the label as elemental phosphorus, while in the fertilizer industry it is expressed as phosphate. Phosphate gives a much bigger number (2.3 times as big) for the same actual phosphorus content. Twelve percent phosphorus is the same as 27% phosphate, and bone meal is sold under either of those (or similar) numbers; it’s the same good, but expensive, product in either case.


 
Organic Fertilizers

What are the nutrient values of organic fertilizers?

"Cover crops generally release their nutrients slowly, over a period of two to six months, said Penhallegon. Nutrient values for cover crops include: alfalfa (2.5 -0.5 - 2), crimson clover (2-0.2-2), Australian winter peas (3-0-1), annual rye (1-0-1). "

"Burned eggshells (0-.5-.3), fish emulsion (5-1-1) and urea (urine) (46-0-0) are the fastest-acting organic fertilizers, lasting only a couple of weeks."

"To boost the nitrogen content of your soils, apply nitrogen rich urea (42-46 percent N), feathers (15 percent N), blood meal (12.5 percent N), bat guano (12.3 percent N) or dried blood (12 percent N). Manures are usually less expensive than other animal by-products."

"Organic amendments highest in phosphorus include rock phosphate (20-33 percent P), bone meal (15-27 percent P) and colloidal phosphate (17-25 percent P). High in potassium are kelp (4-13 percent K), wood ash (3-7 percent K), granite meal (3-6 percent K) and greensand (5 percent K)."

"To make soil less acidic, gardeners want materials rich in calcium, including clam shells, ground shell marl, oyster shells, wood ashes dolomite and gypsum (all are at least 30 percent calcium carbonate or straight calcium)."

 
What are the nutrient values of organic fertilizers? | Oregon State University Extension Service | Gardening

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/577

 

Purslane, "A Nutrient Rich Weed"

"Purslane may be a common plant, but it is uncommonly good for you. It tops the list of plants high in vitamin E and an essential omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Purslane provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta carotene than carrots. It’s also rich in vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorus.
Omega-3s are a class of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. Your body cannot manufacture essential fatty acids, so you must get them from food. Unfortunately, the typical American diet contains too few omega-3s, a shortage that is linked to a barrage of illnesses including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease."

"ALA is most commonly found in plants and grass-fed meat and eggs. Artemis Simopoulos, co-author of The Omega Diet, says purslane is one of the richest known plant sources of ALA: It contains 15 times the amount found in most iceberg lettuce."

"In addition to ALA, other omega-3s include eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids mostly found in aquatic plants and animals, especially oily fish. Nutritionists now think all forms of omega-3s need to be plentiful in our diets pants such as purslane may be part of the missing link to better nutrition. Ethnobiologists — scientists who study the relation between primitive human societies and the plants in their environment — believe that the plants humans ate long ago provided a greater proportion of nutrients than the plants we consume today." 

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/power-packed-purslane-zmaz05amzsel.aspx#ixzz37NLQ0SjD

My All Time Favorite Farm Tools

GARDEN HOE

Mother Earth News had an article on garden hoes is the recent issue.  I can't believe that they left out my all time favorite hoe!

At left is the Amish Made Garden Hoe sold by Lehman's Hardware.  It's lightweight, well made, and perfectly balanced. My all time favorite hoe.

My second favorite hoe is the Italian Grape Hoe, also sold by Lehman's.  It's perfect for catching up on weeding that has gotten ahead of you.  This picture is from the Lehman's website.  My hoe lost all the paiint on the blade and shank a long time ago.

GRASS SHEARS

We cut and chop greens for our chickens and ducks daily.  Even though they are on pasture every day, we cut a bucket of greens for them in the evening.

The Garden Pals #31110 Pro Hot Forged Grass Shears are great for this.   The oldest pair just seems to get better with use. 

Small Farm Scale Biochar Projects

We are planning our first attempts at making biochar on the farm to use to improve the soils and crop yields.

Most of the simple means of production that I have found online either produce a very small quantity per batch or require large pits, with an associated danger of a person or animal falling through the soil layer and being severely burned. Also, the fires typically seem like they have to burn for an extended period.

I have a long row of pines that I need to take down as they are starting to shade the kitchen garden near the house, and would like to make biochar from them in the spring or summer.

I read that some make biochar by taking a 55 gallon steel drum, making air inlet holes in the side up about a 1/3 of the barrel height from the bottom, then installing a grate just above the air holes. As the wood above the grate burns, the smaller pieces drop through the grate into the bottom of the barrel where there is little or no oxygen to complete combustion.

My current thoughts are to enlarge this design vertically. First have a steel barrel that has a clamp on lid sitting on the bottom (without the lid). Then stack a second barrel on top of the first. The second barrel would have no top or bottm. It would have short sections of angle iron welded on the inside at the bottom that project about 6" out the bottom to help it nest on top of the bottom barrel. It would have a ring of air holes close to the bottom and a grate of 1/2" steel rods just above the air holes.The entire top barrel would be filled with wood and ignited from the bottom through the air holes. The smaller charred pieces would drop through filling the bottom barrel. Addition wood could be added at the top until the bottom barrel was filled. Then the top barrel would be removed and the lid installed on the bottom barrel.

For utilizing leaves, plant litter, etc. we are thinking about building a device like the one at the link below:

http://www.arti-india.org/content/view/80/52/

I am also looking into Top Lit Updraft Kilns:

http://thinkingglobalactinglocal.com/biochar-workshop-may-9-2009.html

Farm scale biochar making:

http://thinkingglobalactinglocal.com/making-some-biochar/farm-scale.html

Double barrel biochar retort:

http://www.puffergas.com/historic/rules/rules.html

Mac

Health Benefits of Duck Fat

Since we raise a flock of Muscovy Ducks every year to put in the freezer, I am going to explore the health benefits of this amazing animal, specifically their fat. We chose Muscovies because of their size, ability to fend for themselves, and the fact that they do not need a pond. With Mac’s interest in a healthy lifestyle, ducks are a no-brainer.

Recently, duck fat has come into the world’s view as a health food. There have been tons of studies involving the Gascony region of France, where the residents eat more saturated fat than any other group of people in the industrialized world. They particularly love the swanky food called foie gras, the liver of a fattened duck or goose. Adults and children alike enjoy a slab of foie gras with bread smothered in liquid duck fat. It is easy to assume that any group of people that consume this much fat would suffer from high rates of cardiovascular disease; however, studies show that just the opposite is occurring.

The World Health Organization recently posted the average number of instances of cardiovascular disease per 100,000 citizens. In the United States it was 315, 145 in France, and only 80 in the Gascony region of France. That’s 75% fewer cases! The miracle man trying to change the world’s mind about fat is Dr. Renaud of France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research. He has published research that suggests that duck fat may improve cardiovascular health.

He has found that duck fat is closer in composition to olive oil than to butter or fat. It is 49% mono-unsaturated fat, which is known to raise good cholesterol. Also, it boasts a low 33% saturated fat content, compared to butter’s 62%.

Dr. Renaud plans to continue his research with a new $3 million grant to focus on the consumption of wine, dairy fats, vegetables, fruits, and duck fat in the United States. Time will only tell just how much these ducks are contributing to our lives.

Growing Forage for Poultry (Chickens & Ducks)

This year I managed to implement a pretty good schedule for keeping a plot of forage growing all season to feed to the chickens (broilers & hens) and to the ducks (Muscovies for meat).

The plantings include: abruzzi rye, crimson clover, rape, browntop millet, and chicory.

Feeding Greens

We feed greens to the chickens and ducks every evening. We have a 5 gallon bucket hung in the chickens' coop with four 4" holes drilled in the sides at the bottom. We fill this bucket with greens every evening. We feed greens to the ducks in a similar manner, or in feed pans with a little grain on top of the greens.

Abruzzi Rye

Rye is planted in the fall. This year I'll plant two plots of rye. The first plot is up already. I'll plant the second plot in a couple weeks. The first plot should provide some greens yet this fall and through the winter, providing greens early next year. The second plot will come up this fall, but not put on much growth until early next year when it will provide greens after the first batch of rye has started to set seed. That's the plan anyway. Last fall I only planted one plot of rye late in November.

When the rye starts to put on growth, we cut buckets of the tender grass to feed to the poultry. We continue feeding this way until after the rye has set seed and the leaves start to fade. We use a pair of lawn shears from Wal-Mart. We've found that if we cut the grass up into shorter lengths, the birds will eat more of it, especially once it has set seed. When we cut plants to feed, we always cut high enough that some leaves are left. This keeps a cover crop in place, and usually allows the crop to come back to set seed.

Protein content:  About 26% (15 to 48% per links below).

     15-26%:  http://hayandforage.com/silage/other-silage/plant-winter-rye-for-spring-forage-0720/

     29-48%:  http://outagamie.uwex.edu/files/2010/08/Fall-Grain-Rye-factsheet-3.pdf

 

     26-27%: http://www.usask.ca/agriculture/plantsci/winter_cereals/winter_rye/Rye2.htm

Crimson Clover

Crimson clover is also planted in the fall and overwinters, blooming in the spring. I've got one plot that is far enough along that the ducks are foraging on it. The second planting has just come up, but won't provide any forage or cut greens until next spring.

The clover is cut similar to the rye. Crimson clover is very determined to set seed, and will usually do so even after being cut for greens as long as it is not cut too short. If allowed to set seed and mature and drop seed, it is pretty good at volunteering again the following year.

Protein content: 20% or higher; 12-14% even at full bloom stage http://msucares.com/crops/forages/legumes/cool/crimsonclover.html


Rape

Rape is a brassica that is typically planted for forage. It can be planted in late summer, fall, and in late Feb. - mid March. I read about planting rape for poultry in The Dollar Hen by Milo Hastings / Robert Plamondon.

We are still feeding a batch of rape that was planted mid August and will soon start to feed a larger plot that was planted a little later. A third plot will hopefully overwinter, and provide forage and greens early next year.

We cut the rape leaving some leaf structure so that the plants can come back and keep a cover crop on the plot until tilled under and replanted. Because of it's high protein content, we try to feed rape during as much of the year as possible.

Protein content: 19-20% http://home.limagrain.co.uk/files/28-forage-rape-2009.pdf


Browntop Millet

Millet is a warm season grain. Browntop millet is a shorter millet that sets a lot of seed. Duck hunters often plant it.

We plant succession plots all summer and cut it similar to the rye. The ducks are very good at eating the grain off the stalks even after the stalks have fallen over, or been walked down by the ducks.

Protein content: 11-16% http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hay/r1016w.htm


Chicory

I just planted the first plot of chicory this fall. Chicory is a perennial. So far, the ducks seem to like it. I may overseed parts of the pasture with it.

Protein content: 30% (maybe higher?) http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/whitetail/seeds/chicory-plus.html


I'll update this and add pictures as I get time.

Mac