Almost time to plant for P.E.I. potato farmers

Island potato farmers are gearing up for another planting season.

At least one farm in the province's easthas already planted a few acres, according to P.E.I. Potato Board chairRodney Dingwell.

But he says most farmers are still getting their gear ready.

"This is a very mechanical business that we're in," said Dingwell. "There's a lot of machinery and most people take this time of year to go over and prepare their machinery and get it serviced, and hopefully then planting will go without too many breakdowns."

Most farmers will wait until the soil gets a bit warmer, which could happen as early as next week.

"We're seeing the sunshine coming out for longer days now, and the land is drying," said Dingwell, who also runs Modhaicdh Farms Ltd. near Morell. "There is always some last-minute, hurry up, get it done jobs to do, and we're doing that."

Planting on P.E.I. usually starts in the east and moves west, because the eastern end of the Island has drier, sandier soil.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS|Trade hot topic as Canada's ambassador to the U.S. pays P.E.I. a visit
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS|Children's author holding workshop with kids on creating comics