Crops
Our Sweet Potatoes
Why Sweet Potatoes
CLARKSHOME FARM 
Why Sweet Potatoes?
For great recipes, click here. 

Super Food!
  • #1 on the "Super Foods You Should Eat" published by the Ontario Nutrition Action Health Letter
  • Fat Free
  • Cholesterol Free
  • Low in Sodium
  • Low on the Glycemic Index (diabetic rating)
Nutritious!
  • Excellent source of Vitamins A, C, & E
  • Brimming with Beta-carotene
  • Substantial source of dietary fiber
  • Source of potassium
  • High in antioxidants
Versatile!
  • Appetizers
  • Main Courses
  • Desserts
Origins
For thousands of years many varieties of the Sweet Potato were cultivated by the Incans and pre-Incans in South America before being brought to Europe by early explorers along with tomatoes, “Irish potatoes”, corn and other crops. In the lands of its origin, the Sweet Potato, is called the “camote” and “batata” (the source of the word “potato”). The more than 200 varieties of Sweet Potato are part of the Morning Glory family. Incidentally, it is not related to the Irish Potato, which is part of the Nightshade family. Not to be confused with the American Yam, which is sweeter and more gelatinous, or the true Yam which is a Chinese vegetable related to the lily, Clarkshome Sweet Potatoes are a variety bred for temperate climes and loose sandy and well drained soils. In the soil, the plant develops into thick-starchy roots laded with carotene – the source of its orange colour. Above ground, the plant is a rich green with vines that have pink or purple blossoms like those of its cousin, the morning glory. Of particular importance, is that Sweet Potatoes produce more pounds of food per acre than any other cultivated plant, which is why it is as desirable today as it was thousands of years ago.