Growing Certified Organic Garlic at Prairie Coteau Farm: Our garlic is planted by hand in the fall in our rich, black sandy-loam soil and covered with a thick layer of mulch. We rotate our fields each year and utilize cover cropping systems to provide the best soil conditions and disease control. Only natural sources of fertility such as compost, fish meal, or manure from our chicken flock are applied. Here in northeastern South Dakota garlic usually emerges in April and requires hand-weeding sometime in May. Our hardy varieties find their way through thick, heavy mulch which suppresses weed emergence while preserving early spring moisture. Prairie Coteau garlic has done well in a variety of conditions, from extremely cold winters with late, sopping wet springs, to mild winters with dry windy springs. About one to two weeks after the scapes begin to appear in June, we walk the rows and remove them by hand to encourage larger bulb growth and to give us the main ingredient in our delicious garlic scape pesto (for sale locally!). Harvest begins in late July and stretches into early August. We undercut the bulbs and pull each one by hand, tie them in bunches and hang them to cure in our airy drying shed. Several weeks later the gorgeous bulbs are ready to trim and clean and will now store for several months to nearly a year, depending on variety. Our growing process is part of our commitment to sustainable organic growing methods. To us, Gourmet Garlic means large size, exceptional flavor, robust plants and a consistent quality standard. We strive to produce only the finest garlic for your planting or eating pleasure! Garlic’s history and medicinal uses: Originating in Central Asia, garlic spread around the globe, and its medicinal uses have been recorded as early as 5000 B.C. in Sanskrit writings. Egyptian slaves ate it for strength as they built the pyramids, soldiers in ancient Greece ate it before battle while athletes used it to boost performance for the Olympics. Garlic was used in Europe to ward off evil spirits and to treat smallpox, fungal infections, leprosy, and asthma. In World Wars I and II soldiers used it to treat infection and fight gangrene. Numerous modern studies have shown garlic’s medicinal properties to include treatment of colds, fungal infections such as athlete’s foot and thrush, lowering of cholesterol and high blood pressure, even reduction in the risk of stomach and colon cancers. Finally, garlic kills many types of bacteria, including staphylococcus and salmonella. Eat garlic raw and chopped or crushed to release the allicin, the compound responsible for these health benefits. Nibbling on parsley, fennel seed or chocolate helps combat the inevitable garlic breath. Enjoy! Our Certified Organic Garlic Varieties: Bogatyr var. Marbled Purple Stripe Beautiful marbled purple, compact bulbs, consistently large with brown clove wrappers. Originated in Moscow. Great for lovers of spicy garlic. Initial bite finishes with a rich garlicky aftertaste. 5-7 cloves per bulb. PURCHASE Georgian Crystal var. Porcelain Large cloves are perfect for roasting with their smooth, buttery consistency and flavor. Nice mild garlic flavor when raw with a touch of heat. Originally from the Republic of Georgia. Beautiful bulbs with pink clove wrappers. 4-6 cloves per bulb. PURCHASE Music var. Porcelain Easiest to grow, reliable, vigorous producer of large bulbs with plump, pink cloves. Sweetly pungent, a good variety for many uses, but especially for fresh eating. Best choice for salsa! Brought to North America from Italy by Al Music. 4-7 cloves per bulb. PURCHASE Persian Star var. Purple Stripe Originated in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This beautiful variety is a good all-purpose garlic, and our favorite for roasting. Cloves are smaller and more numerous than our other varieties. Stores fairly well. 8-12 cloves per bulb. PURCHASE Russian Giant var. Porcelain Large purple tinted bulbs with easily peeled tan cloves have a slightly mild, but pleasant garlic flavor. Huge bulbs result from careful growing. 4-7 cloves per bulb. PURCHASE Transylvanian var. Artichoke Mild, but flavorful. Brought to the U.S. from a vegetable market in Transylvania in 1994. Long storing. Bulbils occasionally form near bulb. 10-15 cloves per bulb. PURCHASE