Grower Finds Many Uses For Yacon Tubers

Grower Finds Many Uses For Yacon Tubers CROPS New Techniques Phil Gouy grows great yacons an Andean cousin to Jerusalem artichokes and sunflowers This year he grew so many that in addition to making yacon syrup he even fed them to his pigs He says the South American tubers are prolific and could fill multiple niches “We turned 10 lbs of crowns into 12 000 lbs of tubers and who knows how much crown material for replanting in 2022 ” says Gouy Girl & Dug Farm “I’ve been working with yacon and other Andean crops for 15 years but this was my largest crop ” says Gouy “We had three 600-ft rows We grew a variety called Crystal which produces the largest tubers very clear with hardly any red skin ” Small tubers or rhizomes that make up the crown are covered with about an inch of soil Initially mulched as the plant grows it produces a dense canopy up to 6 1/2 ft tall that shades out most weeds In 6 to 7 months it can be harvested but harvested with care to not damage the delicate tubers While small plots are normally hand dug Gouy used a backhoe to bring in his 6 tons of tubers Tubers weren’t all he produced Each crown harvested with the tubers can be used to start 100 new plants the following spring Gouy compares yacons to dahlias which also store energy in tubers forming crowns near the surface for generating new growth “For the past 6 years I sold the crowns not the tubers ” says Gouy “This year we made syrup to put in our food boxes and for sampling with chefs ” Yacon syrup is a low glycemic sweetener that diabetics can use He describes it as being similar in color to molasses but without the flavor The tubers are peeled and boiled down yielding 25 to 30 percent syrup by weight “We are also planning to include some yacons in our food boxes along with recipes ” says Gouy He notes that some people have reactions to yacons as they do to Jerusalem artichokes which is one reason for the limited introduction The long chain sugars can’t be broken down by the digestive system only by the bacteria in the gut With a limited market as yet for the tubers themselves Gouy has been feeding some to the farm’s pigs chickens and goats He notes that none of the animals showed any signs of problems eating the tubers He also sees a role for yacons as cover crops “They appear to be very beneficial to the soil creating a biofilm in the soil ” says Gouy “There are no weeds under the plant and when they are pulled the soil has a better texture I’m planning to use them as cover crops this year ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Girl & Dug Farm 3588 N Twin Oaks Valley Rd San Marcos Calif 92069 ph 760 744-5289; phil@girlndug com; www girlndug com

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