Living in Ireland one is constantly reminded of its recent history particularly of the horrifying years between 1845 and 1850, and for good reasons: it must never happen again. Though the Irish Famine is well over, famine continues to stalk the world.
To this day one of the greatest gift one can receive in my neck of the woods is a bag of freshly dug up spuds, lying in sweet smelling, soft dirt. I know, I got such a gift this morning and I can't help feeling overwhelmed at this unannounced kindness, knowing that only a few decades ago this would have represented food for an entire week for an average family.
I have been collecting information on how the humble potato is faring worldwide and there's some good news and some not so great but overall, it's mostly good as the acreage has increased in the largest potato growing countries. I hope my good friend from back West will read this.
Potato Growers - How to Increase Your Yield Per Hectare:
The world is on the brink of a major food shortage. Farm lands have been converted to residential areas resulting in a decrease of available farming space, and yet at the same time due to the increase of population, the demand for food increases at a steady rate. Source
Twin Falls, Idaho - Potatoes have finally joined the price-increase party:
In just four or five weeks, prices for 50-pound cartons of large-sized U.S. No. 1 russets have jumped by about $10 per carton, some Idaho shippers said. Source
If you’re only allowed to bring one vegetable to that deserted island, the potato is the way to go:
Rich in carbohydrate, protein and vitamins (with the exception of vitamin A, which you’ll be able to get from harvesting seaweed off the island’s shore), the potato may be as close as we’ll ever get to the perfect food. Source
Drought Tolerance In Potatoes:
ScienceDaily — Climate change is expected to exacerbate drought events throughout the world, resulting in large-scale ecosystem alteration and failure of drought-sensitive crops. Source
Persistence pays to keep out blight:
The rainfastness and persistence of Revus is creating significant advantages in blight control during a difficult year, according to early in-season results of trials at the Les Barges Blight Research Station in Switzerland. Source
Potatoes far more nutritious than pasta:
UK Farmers launched a campaign to encourage young people to eat less pasta and more potatoes. The trend for pasta as a replacement for potatoes coincided with many younger people missing out on vital nutrients like iron and potassium, the Potato Council said. Source
Are potatoes good or bad for us?:
Potatoes are a great way to survive a famine. My grandparents survived the Depression on potatoes. But in a contemporary, sedentary society, potatoes are unhealthy, with a very big glycemic load. Source
New and Old potatoes:
Potato varieties are designed to meet growing and culinary demands: soil, temperature, pest resistance, size, skin color, harvesting, yield, grade, cooking method, flavor, texture and presentation. Source
Test your understanding of potato diseases:
The University of Idaho (they know a thing or two about spuds!) have devised this clever test (pdf) Source
Potato Recipes:
Ireland
UK
USA, here and here
Get your camera ready: Global photo contest celebrates International Year of the Potato!