A great tomato grown in the heart of the Israeli desert? This was possible thanks to the Salad Trail, a working farm and interactive museum designed to teach visitors about the techniques used to farm a desert.

Welcome to Modern Farmer’s new harvest column, in which we highlight what is seasonal, talk to those who grow it, and share a recipe (or two).This week: sugar beets. Blogger and photographer Molly Yeh talks with her boyfriend Nick – a sugar beet farmer – about the the harvest in Grand Forks, ND; and shares a special latke recipe with us.