A lot of information about Potatoes,AKA, spuds..... The UN has designated 2008, as its year in the spotlight. FAO site: http://www.potato2008.org/en/index.html A little Provincially produced pamphlet, about the venerable spud.. The potato in British Columbia (1921) PDF Tice, Cecil, 1893- Canadian Potato Crop profile PDF Potatoes with coloured flesh may promote health PDF Potato Research Centre, Fredricton, New Brunswick Potato Research News International Potato Center Potato Grower An overview of the British Columbia potato industry PDF
ha, thanks Niall, I will have to try to grow some spuds in containers if my condo is in a condition to do so (we are having the building envelope rebuilt at the moment), to celebrate. I have always wanted to grow the blue potato, my inlaws supply us with plenty of yellow and white varieties.. :) ps, any new news about Riverview? I havent been in the loop for a while, its a couple months till the next walk, maybe I should call Mary and get organized?
Very interesting...that should make our farmers very happy. One tidbit of info on the potato growing in china. My bro in law travels to China to put together I guess a potato digger or what not...he is the Mechanical Engineer, not I. Anyway, the Chinese are growing potatoes for Frito-lay and they ship over or maybe my bro in law's employer does. the ship the potato thingamagig for my b.i.l. to put together for them and teach them how to use it as he speaks Mandarin Chines. He also is 6'9" and skinny as a bean pole! He has been on some interesting means of travel, and one picture he took was a china man riding a scooter with sheep tied to the back. He was taking them in to be sheared. I can't recall if there were more than two sheep on the scooter. If I ever think of this again I'll see if my bro in law willsend me the photo via email.
Thanks for informing me about this. I applied to them for use of the logo on the garden's site... and there you have it!
What do you think about further pushing a non-native food source across the world, replacing what was planted and eaten before? I remember a potato famine in the mid-1800s. I think it is funny that the logo is not to be used for fried products. However, major sponsors other than quasi-governmental agencies include JR Simplot, the company that came up with the first commecially viable French fry and supplier to McD's.
A little historical note Ashcroft, B.C. just south of Cashe Creek once was famous for it potatoes across Canada and parts of the U.S. Untill a blight infected the crop and put an end to the production. I believe they still grow some fine tomatoes there for local use but I have not been past there for a number of years.
Any crop that we could discuss would be a product of commercially viable monoculture, of course -- whether it is a food crop or a horticultural crop. Still, stuff I read and revisiting where I grew up (Iowa, subject of some chapters in Michael Pollan's books) suggest how amazingly unnatural our surroundings have become. Or, the unnatural has become natural. I think the potato is a great source of nutrition (if you eat the skins), so if we can get more potatoes to Bangladeshi, wonderful. I was momentarily getting lost in "what could have beens." It is interesting, Karalyn, how the Chinese are making their presence felt in production of chip or processing potatoes. I bet an evening of travelogue by your brother would be interesting.
OH, yes, and I think it was his company that moved east if I remember right. It was called Ore/Ida. Now I could be wrong as I haven't been paying attention to the potato market. I think because our city keeps on growing that we don't discuss farming as much as before since our farmlands are being gobbled up by developers and subdivisions. I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't build on such little lots and no basements. It use to be the norm to have the foundation of a house be part of a basement. So little houses with yards without room to move around in and then no basement to spread out. I guess I've been lucky.
Daniel, thank you! From the Economist editorial referenced in your Web link: "Mashed, fried, boiled and roast, a humble tuber changed the world, and free-trading globalisers everywhere should celebrate it."
