Humble potatoes feed us all
In the late 18th century, Marie Antoinette attended a fancy pants party wearing a headdress made from potato flowers. She might have eaten a few French fries during the evening though it was only during her lifetime that Europeans considered potatoes as anything other than subsistence food for peasants and animals. A French doctor had determined potatoes were nutritious, so Marie’s beau, King Louis XVI, planted them at all his palaces, and word soon spread.
Food historians are doggone positive that potatoes as a food crop were developed in the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia as early as 10,000 years ago. They were so important that bowls were fashioned in the shape of potatoes. Locals even developed a method for freeze-drying them for storage.
Visiting Spanish explorers stored potatoes and maize onboard ships for their return trips to Europe, and leftovers were planted by local gardeners. First known written reference of potatoes was a 1567 receipt of a shipment of them from the Canary Islands to Belgium. Debate continues as to whether Sir Walter Raleigh or Sir Francis Drake introduced potatoes to England, but it doesn’t matter anymore except maybe to members of their lineages who need a peg to hang a hat on.
What really matters is why Andeans worked assiduously to develop wild potatoes. According to the International Potato Center, there are more than 4000 varieties of potatoes, most that are in the Andes. Locals valued them because they were a reliable food source in the high Andean atmosphere. They stored well and were easy to bake. Travelers took potatoes on their journeys for nourishment.
European opinion was tepid at first, but Russia, for example, realized potatoes produced far more calories per acre than grain, and, as a food source, they were cheaper than rye bread. The Spanish government issued potatoes to soldiers for sustenance. However, the European populace still grimaced with skepticism, blaming potatoes for issues ranging from leprosy to lust. There was also the potato blight during the 19th century which did not help its reputation.
Even in the United States, potatoes were fed to livestock at first. It was Luther Burbank in 1872 at his experimental gardens in Sonoma County, California, who developed a disease-resistant variety which proved to be a boon for potato growers. Potato production has blossomed since, with China expected to produce 99 million metric tons of potatoes this year. The next four potato producers are India, Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
The U.S. exports more than two billion pounds of frozen French fries, mostly to Japan.
So, the humble potato has been heartily welcomed worldwide because it is a nutritious reliable crop for a variety of climates. They grow well on my rocky hillside at the north end of Madison County. I started out with a few that had sprouted in the kitchen, and genetically identical offspring from those parents are still producing 10 years later.
Typical planting method for taters is two weeks or so ahead of intended planting date to put potatoes you intend to plant in a warm location to encourage early sprouting. A week before planting, cut them into pieces with two or three eyes each. You can plant them early in the season, but they will not perform unless the soil has warmed to at least 45°. Saturated, soggy soil is not good.
Potatoes can handle mild frosts, but the gardener must protect the early leaves from hard freezes by piling on leaves or straw. Plant the potato pieces three inches deep and a foot apart in your well-prepared soil. You can grow potatoes in deep boxes or grow bags.
After three months or so, the foliage withers and it is harvest time. Carefully pull back soil until you find the potatoes waiting patiently underground. You will be doing what gardeners for ten millennia have done. You will be reaching back in time.