I am 1/4 Irish and so I read with interest this story about potatoes in western MA:
https://gazettenet.com/2025/09/05/valley-bounty-potatoes-are-in-our-blood-valley-spud-grows-and-distributes-potatoes-from-maine-to-florida/. I was inspired to reach back to my ancestors and write a song about it called "Pioneer Valley Spuds""Pioneer Valley Spuds" is a heartfelt American folk anthem inspired by the Szawlowski family’s century-long legacy of potato farming in Pioneer Valley. From the fields of Northfield to the packing sheds of Barnwood Valley Farms, this song celebrates the hard work, family bonds, and pride of growing spuds that feed folks from Maine to Florida. With soulful male vocals, soaring female harmonies, and the warm twang of guitar, mandolin, and violin, we honor Hadley, Northampton, and Amherst—where the soil runs deep and the Szawlowski name shines. Dive in and feel the spirit of Pioneer Valley’s potato heritage!
https://adamsweet.bandcamp.com/track/pioneer-valley-spuds
Verse 1
In Pioneer Valley where the potatoes grow,
The Szawlowski clan, their love does show.
For a hundred years, with Hadley's soil they've toiled,
In fields of Hatfield, where the earth's been spoiled.
Colin and his kin, with their hands in the dirt,
Plantin' russets and reds, in the sun and the hurt.
From Northfield's fields to the markets afar,
Pioneer Valley Spud's the name, their spuds are the star!
Chorus
Oh, the spud of Pioneer Valley, it's in their blood,
From Maine to Florida, through the rain and the mud.
With Barnwood Valley Farms, they're feedin' the land,
Pioneer Valley's spud, with an Irish hand!
Verse 2
Young Colin learned from his father and kin,
In Hadley's packin' shed, where the work don't end.
With uncles and brothers, they built a new dream,
Pioneer Valley Spud's rise, like the Connecticut's gleam.
Andy Pollack came with a plan so grand,
A market for spuds from this Pioneer land.
From Stop and Shop to the Big E's fries,
These Hadley spuds shine in the hungry eyes.
Chorus
Oh, the spud of Pioneer Valley, it's in their blood,
From Maine to Florida, through the rain and the mud.
With Barnwood Valley Farms, they're feedin' the land,
Pioneer Valley's spud, with an Irish hand!
Verse 3
The fields rotate with cows and greens,
Two years of spuds, then a rest, it seems.
Mother Nature's their partner, fickle and wild,
The smoke and the heat test the farmer's child.
But in Hadley's barns, with the solar bright,
They wash half a million by day and night.
From Northampton's fairs to Amherst's plate,
Pioneer Valley Spud feeds the Bay State.
Chorus
Oh, the spud of Pioneer Valley, it's in their blood,
From Maine to Florida, through the rain and the mud.
With Barnwood Valley Farms, they're feedin' the land,
Pioneer Valley's spud, with an Irish hand!
Bridge
Raise a pint to the farmers, their hearts so true,
To the Szawlowski name, and the work they do.
For the spud's in their soul, like the Irish green,
In Pioneer Valley's fields, it's a sight unseen.
Chorus
Oh, the spud of Pioneer Valley, it's in their blood,
From Maine to Florida, through the rain and the mud.
With Barnwood Valley Farms, they're feedin' the land,
Pioneer Valley's spud, with an Irish hand!
Outro
So here's to the spud, and the family's way,
In Pioneer Valley, where the potatoes sway.
From Hadley's heart to the coast's far strand,
Pioneer Valley's spud, with an Irish hand!
