STORY OF THE SPUD

Annabelle Padwick loves potatoes and reveals a bit about their history and some useful growing tips

- Annabelle Padwick

As you may have realised by now if you have read my previous articles,which include stories of potato charts, treasure hunts and childhood memories, I have a slight thing for potatoes, growing them more than eating them. Unless it’s mash! This isn’t just because there is a potato variety called ‘Annabelle’ either, which I must say is delicious in potato salads. So, I thought it’s about time, especially as we are at harvesting time, that I dedicate a whole feature to the treasure that is the potato.

On that note, I have been reading about the history of potatoes, their origin and the huge part they had to play in helping to end famine in many countries. For many farmers across the world, potatoes were seen as more productive compared with grains, due to the fact that they grow underground. If wheat or rice plants grew too big and fell over or if the wind broke them, the results were fatal and devastating whereas once they get going, potato tubers aren’t so impacted by the rest of the plant and changing weather.

POTATO FACTOID

Potatoes apparently provide more calories per acre than any other crop... so, if you ever need to grow food to survive and have limited space, potatoes should be your trusty friend.

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