Hit the Dirt; A Potato is not a Potato

I hit the dirt number three for March twenty one thousand ninety two. Hello. And welcome. You know before I started gardening I always thought a potato was a potato was a potato. I mean I like them especially either with ketchup or else smothered with butter. But I always thought of them as a basic bland food. Then when I started growing my own I was blown away by the difference in flavor the spuds actually seemed to have a flavor of their own especially the baby just

in and of themselves steamed or baked with perhaps a bit of dill. Now just in the past few years I feel I've entered the third stage of Tater appreciation for I've stumbled upon the awareness of the vast variety of potatoes that exists beyond the three or four common ones which comprise over 90 percent of the potatoes grown in the fields and gardens of this country. There are literally thousands of different kinds of potatoes each with its own distinctive combination of taste texture color shaping cooking qualities. A potato is definitely not just a potato. All of the many varieties that exist today are the result of thousands of years of selection and cross breeding of the original wild potato species. The first relatives of the potato probably came from what is now Peru and Bolivia and the native peoples there still maintain an incredible diversity of cultivated and semi wild potatoes as part of their traditional agriculture. And I'm pleased to discover that at last a portion of this diversity is making its way into North

American gardens. With the recent widespread increase in interest and preserving the genetic diversity of our food crops many seed companies have begun offering a much wider selection of potatoes for the home gardener to try out for instance Pine Street seeds down in New Gloucester Maine includes 15 different varieties in this year's catalogue and most tubers associated with head proceed based in Waterville is offering 34 different kinds of taters. But the most extensive selection currently available to us gardeners is from raw knitters Rogers is a small family run seed company based in Idaho that specializes in potatoes. They carry over 100 25 different varieties including Australian crawler Indian pink Pearl all blue purple chief Viking red yellow rose black Russian Sangar a candy striper and Russian banana as some of these names indicate there is a whole rainbow of shades in colors other than the common white and red skin types. Some even have colored flesh that you can whip up some

blue or red mashed potatoes or break up some naturally buttery looking golden fleshed buds and the flavors more than just novelties. Some of the ones I have tried such as Crolla are truly outstanding. I must say I've actually gotten excited about growing potatoes now. This year my partner and I will be traveling 20 different kinds. Potatoes are becoming more central parts of our diet which isn't a bad change since the potato is a versatile nutritional powerhouse. To quote from the raw knitter catalogue in just 400 years the potato has replaced grain as a basic source of nutrition in many nations around the world. Because the potato is better the best all around bundle of nutrition known to mankind. Its ratio of carbohydrate to protein is ideal. Get enough potatoes to satisfy your energy needs and you automatically get much of the protein you need. Furthermore you get protein of the type that you can readily use for body growth and maintenance. 73 percent of ATOS protein is readily utilized by humans. Only eggs rank higher.

The potato also provide significant amounts of vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C iron phosphorus and niacin. Another virtue of the potato is exceptional productivity. No other crop produces more energy per acre than potatoes. The potato grows well at elevations from sea level to 14000 feet and thrives in a wider variety of soils and under a wider range of climatic conditions than any other staple food. It also matures faster yielding edible tubers in just 50 days and reach maturity in 60 to 120 days. Overall the potato is the world's most efficient means of converting plant land water and Labor into a palatable nutritious food. Indeed food few foods can rival this versatile vegetable so long misunderstood. And its great potential to feed a hungry planet. Its fascination to science and slender repast it offers much food for thought for all of us. This noble tuber golden fruit of the earth to which we owe so much. Pretty impressive

almost makes you want to give a bit of extra room in this year's garden growing spuds. Well go ahead try a few different varieties just for fun. Plant some bliss triumphs or some harmony beauties or some Scotia blues or some Ruby Crescence. I don't think you'll regret it. For those of you who are intrigued by the idea of something a bit different in the potato patch. The address of potatoes is Star root Springs Springs 8 3 8 4 5. It is too late to order from tubers this year but to get them on on their mailing list for next year. The address is 50 to Mayflower Hill Drive Waterville Maine. Oh and before I go I have one announcement that might be of interest to listeners out there. It's a workshop called caring for trees and it's for Citizen municipal and private providers led by a professional arborist both classroom outdoor instruction will be provided. This event will be held at the Pine Tree State in