HUNTER RIVER — The yearly harvest of local, organically-grown marshmallows has begun on Island farms.
Although not a staple food in most diets, marshmallows have been grown on the Island since the mid-1960s by dozens of farmers.
When a marshmallow ripens and grows to its full size of 2-3 meters, it is pulled from the ground and left to dry in fields for a few weeks. Once dried, the raw marshmallow is diced into the standard jumbo and miniature sizes for packaging. One fully-grown marshmallow can provide enough for up to three cups of hot chocolate.
As is the tradition in Island junk food cultivation, the marshmallow harvest is followed closely by the yearly jellybean harvest, and finally the great pumpkin culling in early fall.
The Islander 