Yam Day - Harvest!

From Brad, historical interpreter:

Yam Day Harvest Day!!! 

This was our big week for our yam experiment here at the museum, as we finally got to harvest our crop to see what we've got. We had mixed success, but we've also got some new ideas to improve next year!

For all of you following our blog over the past few months, place your bets now on which yam plant produced the biggest harvest!

If you bet on Yam 1, then you'll have to get a raincheck. We decided not to harvest that mound in order to save one of our healthy plants to show to visitors and school children. Apologies!  When Yam 1 dies, we will certainly harvest and let you know the results!

Yam 2:

This was our biggest vine in the initial week or two of the blog until it fell to #2 and stayed there until it began wilting from cold. Here you can see what's left before harvest:

And now we finally get to dig it up. Here I am, using my Igbo hoe, or ogu, to dig up the yams, starting with the bottom, outside edge of the mound and slowly working my way inward.

Here's an Igbo equivalent to a pick-ax, which I found easier to break up dirt. You really have to be careful not to go too fast because you can easily break the yams. I tried to remember an old Igbo proverb, but couldn't, and so I kept telling myself this: "Old men never break their yams because they move slow. Young men always break their yams because they're impatient."

Here I am, desperately digging with all the patience I can manage, but I didn't find a single yam!

 

The Twins come next. They've always been healthy, and have fought the frost better than most of the other plants. Here I am taking pride in their longevity.

And then swiftly picking up my digger and breaking open the mound.

 Could it be?

YAMS!!! Well, the beginnings of them anyway. They're not nearly the size they'd be in Africa--generally about the size of a football, these are more like golf balls--but yams nonetheless!

As far as I know, this is a sight that no one else has witnessed in the continental US, full grown or not.

 "Not bad, eh?"

Next up, the Di Ji, or Yam King. This one was the longest vine for the majority of our experiment; let's see if it really is the Yam King!

 First yam found. Rotted. Not very kingly.

 DEFINITELY not kingly.

And then...some yam sprouts off of the original seed planted. We discovered that the new yams typically grow straight down from the seed. Before I knew this, it took me 20 minutes to harvest 1 mound (remember, patience!). Now I can do it in less than 5, which would be useful considering a normal yam farmer would have hundreds if not thousands of these to harvest.

Unfortunately we only found the 3 spuds in the so-called Yam King's mound, so this plant was no match for the tag-team duo of the twins.

Although we didn't get any full-sized yams, I think that just getting yam-spuds is a success in itself, given our comparatively short growing season, low rainfall, and bad soil on the farm (look at previous posts and notice how rocky the soil is! This actually goes back to when the 1850's American farm was located on this site and our landscaping crews graded the topography to match that of the original location for that farmstead. In effect, they removed most, if not all, the topsoil in our garden). Next year, we've got a few ideas floating around to grow real, full-sized yams. We would like to start them earlier next year and decide on a method to transplant them into the mounds without disturbing their roots, because, as you can see in the photo above, they have very long, windy roots. With those good ideas, some fertilizer/compost, and a little luck, we'll be able to grow real African yams in Virginia for the first time in history! 

Yam Day

From Brad, Historical Interpreter:

YAM DAY!

This week we've been very busy preparing the West African site for the Good Times, Tastes, and Traditions Festival put on by the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce. We've been reorganizing a bit to make room for all of the local vendors that will be selling their goods this Friday and Saturday, so don't miss out this rare opportunity!

It's certainly a good thing that our yams are in the twilight of their existence here at the museum, seeing as most of our free time has been devoted to setting up, tearing down, reorganizing, and cleaning for the past few days. Each day the yam vines seem to lose a little more of their green, waxy color, giving way to brown, black, shriveled leaves and stems. We took a few pictures to show you their slow deaths, but we decided to stop the part of the experiment where we measure vine growth. All the vines are stagnant or beginning to shrink while they shrivel.

Here's on of the leaves on Yam 1. This particular plant one of the closest to death in its life cycle. Harvesting coming soon!

This next plant is our former botanical Di Ji. If you don't remember, that means "Yam King", typically awarded to the man with the biggest and fullest yam barn in the community. We've used this term to describe the biggest yam vine in our yam experiment. Oh the seasons of life! The Yam King is dead!

 These three leaves fell off in the process of taking the previous photo. You have to be very, very delicate with them when you're training the stems around the supporting stick. It's pretty tricky.

 ...And finally the twins, although you can only see one of them in this picture. Notice how the vine has begun to turn yellow at the tip and the leaves are dying off. We're getting close to harvest!!

Yam Day & Recipe

From Brad, Historical Interpreter:

YAM DAY!!!

This week we've had more and more signs that the FCMV harvest time is drawing near (remember, they've already celebrated the New Yam Festival in Nigeria and are now half-way through harvest season). In the meantime, before we harvest, I'll give you a little recipe that you can try at home, and is very popular for Igbo men working on the farm.

How do you know when it's time to harvest? Like potatoes (and many other crops), you should wait for the plant to start dying off. The tips of the vine will turn black, followed by the rest of the vine, and the leaves begin to wilt. Once that has covered most of the vine you should get the yams out of the ground as soon as possible before it completely dies. Yams are best preserved in dry, well-ventilated areas. If your plant has died, then it will begin to rot if there's a lot of moisture in the soil. In next week or two, we'll show you the best technique for harvesting, to prevent the crop from rotting. 

Notice how a lot of our plants are begging to show signs of wilting:

Here's Yam 1, standing at about 33" if you count the dead part, and almost 28" if you don't.  At 33", it's about the same as last week.   

 A closer look at what you should be checking for when you're about to harvest.

 Yam 2 is doing rather well with little sign of wilting, standing at 35".  That's about the same as last week.

 The twins, Yam 3and 4, are doing especially great.  I can't wait to see what their yams look like!

 The twins, about 38" tall:

We have a new yam to report! This is our 9th yam we've been able to sprout out of the dozen that we planted at the museum. They have fought poor soil and cold temperatures, and this one finally made it out of the ground. Better late than never!

So while you're checking your yams, weeding the mounds, or training the vines, it's always helpful if you bring a few yams to eat during a midday break. I'll show you one of the Igbo comfort foods the men often enjoy when on the farm.  Since these yams typically don't grow in the continental US, I'm substituting the yam with a regular ol' russet potato. The taste, color, and consistency are nearly identical. Here's what you need (it's SUPER simple because it's the MEN doing the cooking on the farm, something they don't often take to):

A couple russet potatoes, or any kind of baked potato you enjoy (not red potatoes!)
Dried chili peppers (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
2 c Palm Oil

Since you typically can't pick up palm oil at your local grocery store, try the nearest ethnic food place. It doesn't have to be an African shop; Hispanic food dealers carry it too. Also, get the RED palm oil! NOT the palm kernel oil! It makes a HUGE difference!

Next, wrap the potatoes in tinfoil and bake at 350 for an hour or until they soften. While they are baking you can make the palm oil dressing, which should take about 2 minutes. Pour the palm oil in a bowl and then add the dried chili peppers (make sure they're crushed!) and salt to taste. I like mine pretty spicy, so I'll put in about a half cup of peppers and a few pinches of salt--just about a teaspoon. Stir, and then your done! Now there's lots of time for you to get back to taking care of your yam farm while the food cooks!

After the potatoes are done, halve them lengthwise so the inside of the potato is an oval shape. With a spoon, add the dressing and eat away! It's easy. It's delicious. And next week I'll share an even more delicious recipe with you while we wait for harvest time.

Yam Day Update

From Brad, Historical Interpreter...

This week we'll close our New Yam Festival commemoration by looking back on our little experiment and seeing how our growing season is fairing for our yams.

Usually, I like to start the Yam Day blog with a little piece about some part of Igbo life that is somehow related to the yam followed by some pictures or a video. This time, I think it would be better to look at the data--i mean pictures--first. Our yams have slowed dramatically in that last two weeks, and I think you should see just how much.

Yam 1:  Standing at 32" short, this yam actually lost 6" this week. Wow. If you look closely at the tip of the vine, you'll see where the tip has begun to wilt.

Yam 2:  Like the previous yam, this one appears to be shorter (by a 1/2"), standing at 37.5". I don't attribute this to wilting, but is more likely human (my own) error. After carefully wrapping the vines around a stick almost daily, the vines take on a "springy" quality that makes it hard to stretch out in a straight fashion without breaking it.

,

The Twins: Whew! At least these two are still growing. These two measure in at about 40.25", about 4.25" difference from last week. 

The Baby: This one grew about 3.25" this week, topping out at 19.25". 

From a few posts ago, here's our reigning Di Ji, but not for long. The vine has started dying at the tip and it is spreading.

Finally, a stagnant new growth. In one week's time this sprout has not grown at all, but has started forming small leaves on its very small and low-to-the-ground tip:

If you read some of our earliest blogs, you should be able to see the pitiful growth of the vines this week. In one week's time, Yam 5 (the Di Ji) grew 25", more than doubling its size back in early August (8/7-8/13). The biggest problem lately, I believe, is the temperature. Yams generally like a temperature range of 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was during the last week of warm weather that Yam 5 had its most impressive growth.  The last two days of that paricular week (8/12 and 8/13), Staunton had its first low temperatures in the lower 60's. Every day following that week, temperatures were in the lower sixties or upper fifties for the rest of August except for 3 nights when the low temperature was 64 degrees, 1 degree above what I define as "lower 60's". After that week of exceptional growth for Yam 5 (it was Yam 2's fastest growth as well), the yams' growth dropped considerably.

It may or may not be coincidence that September and October highlight the main harvest season for both traditional Igbo and me. Fall is certainly coming waaay too early this year--at least when it comes to growing good, full-sized West African yams. We'll keep you updated on the growth, or lack thereof, and the growing conditions here in Staunton.        
      

Yam Day- Masquerades

From Brad, Historical Interpreter:

Yam Day Update: Masquerades!

This week we dug deep into our video archives to to show you a masquerade that took place here at the FCMV! We also took the liberty of finding some more extravagant costumes, and we have updated our yam experiment.

It's still the time of year for the New Yam Festival over in Igboland, and that means it is time for the year's biggest feast and masquerade. We've already discussed the importance of having a colossal  feast, so now we'll turn to the more colorful masquerades. Traditionally, when there's an Igbo masquerade, it's not simply for fun. Masquerades are only held on sacred days when the line between the natural and supernatural worlds is the thinnest, permitting the spirit world to walk amongst the living. This only occurs at certain seasonal celebrations (like the New Yam Festival), funerals, and sometimes judiciary trials.

In order to participate as a masquerader, first of all you need to be a male (sorry, ladies). Secondly, you need to be initiated into a secret society that controls when, where, and how a spirit will be seen. This is not the most difficult achievement to accomplish, as it typically requires only a lump some of money and an oath to secrecy. Thirdly, you need a costume. Costumes vary in a shapes and colors, but the one thing in common is that every costume should not reveal any skin of the performer. In this way the masquerade is able to retain a mystic, magical side. Every costume represents a different deity (there are hundreds) or sometimes a late friend. These costumes often include a mask carved from a solid piece of wood that slides over the masquerader's whole head, which I can speak from experience is very heavy and severely limits one's mobility. Despite this fact, masqueraders will dance and dance, or otherwise walk the streets in their costume, typically scaring women and children.

It is a wonder that anyone within these secret societies actually believes in Igbo deities, given their knowledge and oaths of secrecy, but for many Igbo's their spirituality is actually reaffirmed. They don't believe they are "playing the part" of a deity.  Rather, they become entranced and believe their body acts a vessel for the spirit to vicariously live through them. The women and children, however, appear to be more scared into believing than anything. Often masqueraders are surrounded by men carrying switches to clear a path for the deity and people frequently throw money at him (or her, depending on the spirit) to appease the spirit's anger--or at least to secure his blessing. I've also heard that the dance alone is enough to inspire belief, as one Igbo woman put it, "The way they move is inhuman!"

Rather than go into more detail describing masquerades, we found a few videos from our dedication ceremony at the West African Farm. Here are some videos of the procession and the masquerade:

And the masquerade...(notice the raffia-covered deity in the back being chased by a man with a fan)...

Here's a costume of the spirit Ahobinagu or Obinagu. She is a spirit that inhabits many lifeforms in the rainforest, living in close quarters with Ala, the Earth Goddess. This picture also appeared in National Geographic recently:

This picture was taken in or near the city of Awka, the capital of Anambra State, Nigeria.  Here's a photo of a masquerader accompanied by lesser deities. Notice the mask and headdress:

Now back to our yam experiment. Overall the yam vines have slowed a bit in growth, with Yam 5 showing some wilting on the tip of the vine. Next week, we'll offer a synthesis of all the measurements taken thus far, and we'll have plenty of photos for you.

Yam 1:

 Yam 1's measurements:

 Yam 2 comes in this week at about 38":

 The Twins, 36" each:

We did not include Yam 5 (its height is about the same), but here's Yam 6 from the last few weeks, the baby, turned toddler:

Otherwise, there have been a lot of exciting things happening recently on the farms. In addition to Yam Day, in the next two weeks, we will be posting on finishing the chimney of the Settlement cabin, and thatching the roof of the Irish blacksmith shop! Stay tuned!

New Yam Festival & Update

From Brad, Historical Interpreter:

Yam Day Update: New Yam Festival!

This week, we are commemorating the New Yam Festival that traditionally takes place this time of year in Igboland, and we have also updated our yam farm experiment!

August marks the prolonged period when individual villages or village groups in Igboland hold their annual harvest festival. Every day, different locales hold festivities, and no matter how close or distant your relationship to anyone there, you're invited! You'll be asked to eat your share (and then some) when they hold the feast, partake in dancing, and, depending on your gender, accompany the masqueraders.

The New Yam Festival is a time of jubilation that represents the beginning of a new season, turning from a time of scarcity to a time of plenty. The Igbo are eager to share the abundance of a successful crop by inviting anyone even remotely acquainted with the villagers to a feast. It's said there should always be leftovers. The jubilation also celebrates the cyclical changing of old to new, and new to old. All the old yams that families still have in their barns are thrown out, and the new yams are brought in. The wives thoroughly scrub pots and wash the clothes in a nearby stream, all of which are meant to purify the household for the incorporation of a new and sacred harvest.

It is, in fact, taboo to eat a fresh yam before your village's yam festival, because not only are your body and house still seen as unfit for a new harvest, but the proper sacrifices to the deities of the land have to be performed first. Typically, this includes making a sacrifice to the spirit of the land, Ala, the spirit of the Yam, and other deities a given locale chooses to recognize. After the sacrifice, the men in the village take the slaughtered chickens, cows, or goats to be eaten. Their sacrifices are not exclusive to the animal kingdom, as they may also offer kola nuts, or palm wine to Chukwu (the creator of all, almost like a Zeus figure) and the lesser deities. With the land purified and the next year's crop blessed, the Igbo are allowed to enjoy their sacred harvest.

This week, we are honoring the New Yam Festival by showing off some of our prize yams from last year's harvest in Africa, which we picked up from an African food store in DC. The Igbo festivals are celebrated at the beginning of the harvest season, and harvesting goes on for weeks or months afterward. So it's possible that our yams may have been harvested as late as October 2011.

They aren't so fresh, but still edible!

 I'm eyeing this one up for later. Will it be a bowl of pounded fufu, or roasted yam with palm oil?

Back to the experiment!

Here's Yam 1: standing at about 35", it grew the fastest this week extending itself by 14".

 Yam 2 is about the same size, around 35", and was our slowest growth rate at 4".

Yams 3/4, the Twins: both grew about 8" this week to stand around 35" tall. I would start to wonder if they are topping out yet, but....

Yam 5, our reigning Di Ji, is standing at just over 4' tall at about 49". This one, however, only grew 6".

Last week's baby, Yam 6, is now entering adolescence, standing around 10" tall today.

Next week we'll continue our New Yam commemoration, and I'll delve into the world of masquerades!  Also, the yam experiment will continue!

Yam Day Update!

From Brad, Historical Interpreter:
Yam Day update!

This week, we get down and dirty to show you how Igbos traditionally farmed yams. Like any farm around the world, Igbos start their work in the off-season. This means they start in the dry season, when farmers clear huge swathes of rainforest to make room for their crops. If you ever visit during this time of year (usually October through March), you may have the chance to see complete pan-optic clouds of smoke rising on the horizon. This is because Igbos today still use the slash-and-burn method to clear land. A good farmer will save as many palm, banana, and plantain trees as possible to use for food, oil (for diet, candles, and personal hygiene), thatch, and palm wine, among many other uses.

After a farmer has cleared his land, he will wait until the transition period into the rainy season, which starts sometime in April. He will then begin making hundreds of large mounds of dirt with his hoe, or ogu in Igbo, leaving small patches untouched where his wives will plants other vegetables.  Interestingly, there is no reason of patterning for the organization of the farm. The mounds take shape wherever the man desires, and often he and his wives are the only people who know the outlay of the farm. A smart farmer will wait to plant his yams until he is sure the heavy rains will stay. A farmer often begins planting after the first heavy rains, only to find a period of drought before the real rainy season occurs.
If the farmer plants his yams at the right time of the season, and his yams have begun to sprout like ours have at the museum, he trains his vines to grow around a stick, making sure there are no breaks and that they receive optimum sunlight. If the sun is too hot, he'll use the banana leaves from the trees around his farm to make rings around the yam leaves to avoid scorching and wilting. This continues through the rainy season until it is time to harvest, sometime between August and October. The women weed and maintain the other crops, farming side-by-side with the men.    

Below are some of the most important tools for a farmer. The three implements on the left are the hoes, or ogus, used for digging and weeding. If a farmer is too poor to afford an iron plate, he may use the shoulder bone of an animal. On the right, we have an Igbo axe and pick. Notice how short the handles are!

Here I am, picking away loosening up the dirt to make my yam mounds. Yams require large mounds to keep them underground because they grow very, very large. The largest yam I've heard of was 250 lbs!

Now I am using the short-handled ogu to work up my mound. You really have to put your back into it!

The seed yam is planted just like a regular potato.

After the vine is large enough, the farmer carefully trains the vine around a stick or a piece of bamboo. This must be checked fairly often because of the yam's rapid growth.

WEEKLY UPDATE: Back to our yam experiment. Yam 1 grew 8", hitting 21" tall:

Yam 2 grew about 18.5" in the last week, standing around 31" tall:

Yam 3/4, the twins, grew about 11" in the past week, a bit slower than Yam 1 and 2:

Because of its incredible growth, we are adding a new botanical Di Ji, Yam 5, making its debut this week at around 43"!

We have one more new yam to report this week, he is the 7th yam to sprout out of the dozen we planted. Stay tuned, because there are more yams on the way!

 

Next week, we'll show you some pictures of the yams we bought that were shipped from Ghana, and discuss the biggest holiday of the year for traditional Igbos, the New Yam Festival.