How We Started Breeding Sweet Potatoes
At Heartbeet Farm, we specialize in locally-bred sweet potatoes that grow well in Eastern Ontario's short, intense season. This year, we're offering bare root slips for your growing pleasure.
In 2018, we were gifted more than 60 new varieties of sweet potatoes bred by local plant breeder Telsing Andrews. We have selected the best of the sixty and continue trialling new varieties grown from true seed collected each year.
In 2020, we partnered with the EFAO and other farms to test out the new varieties. We continue to grow several of the original varieties from the trial, as well as new varieties grown from true seed collected in 2019/2020. The varieties each have a name, as well as a number that corresponds with numbers found in the 2020 EFAO trial report. Scroll down to find the report.
Sweet Potatoes for Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec
Our goal to produce short-season, cold-tolerant sweet potatoes that reliably produce bountiful harvests in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec’s climate with minimal inputs.
Update from the 2024 Season
Last season's heat in combination with a few tweaks we made to our bed preparation system yielded good results for us here in North Augusta.
We grew out eleven of our varieties bred in the region, along with five conventional varieties. This provided an opportunity to compare yields and marketability (no cracking and round, oblong shape). We'll share more about the results soon but Covington was the overall winner, which isn't surprising since it's the most commonly grown commercial sweet potato in the region.
We also held a taste test of the top 10 performers. There was no consensus on the best tasting but Red Velvet was consistently top rated.
Overall, the results have shown that we were perhaps being too sentimental about about a few of our varieties. We'll be culling a couple, and using some for cross pollination in the breeding beds.
Our sweet potatoes grown from true seed last year yielded five worth growing out again in 2025. The search for the perfect sweet potato continues.
Sweet Potato Slips to Grow at Home
Sweet potato slips from our trials are available to try at home! These varieties have been selected based on taste, size, yield and ease of harvest. Details about each variety are available in the list of slip varieties.
This spring, we'll be offering our sweet potato slips at two locations:
On our farm in North Augusta in May (dates to be announced)
Kanata Farmers Market in Ottawa on three consecutive Saturdays:
- May 17: 9 AM to 3 PM
- May 24: 9 AM to 3 PM
- May 31: 9 AM to 3 PM
We no longer offer shipping. Read more about this change.
Subscribe to our Sweet Potato Email Newsletter
Breeding & Variety Trials
In 2019 and 2020 we conducted variety trials in partnership with the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario. Our research, along with many other fascinating projects can be found here. We continue to trial new varieties in search of great taste, high yields and shorter days to maturity (DTM).