Learn more about Seed Saver Exchange

To ensure survival of genetic diversity and cultural heritage, potatoes need to be planted and harvested every year!! You cannot just grow seed and deep-freeze it, because that seed will give you a NEW variety - there is no way to know if the features of the new variety (the true seed that can be frozen) will be similar to the mother variety. Many organizations worldwide keep the potato varieties clones alive as in-vitro cultures but unfurtonately many plants are not available to the general public as tubers to grow and eat.

There are about 9,000 varieties of potato - perhaps more because new varieties are developed worldwide every year. We have thousands of varieties grown in the USA, but about 1000 have a name (vs. a code number) and heritage data.

• The Kenosha Potato Project is an attempt to double the efforts of Seed Saver Exchange and duplicate the collection of potato varieties here in South Eastern Wisconsin (a living tuber germplasm collection).
• Determine which varieties work best in local home gardens, with special attention to rare varieties [especially colored, not white developed for chip and fry].
• New Focus for 2012 - varieties which yield larger crops in micro plots - see our challenge "99 pounds of potato in a 3 x 3 potato box", and more specifically it is our intention to keep growing the whole collection in SmartBags [more info here] ... with following changes: it is obvious that growing vines in bags is challenged by higher soil temps, thus the opportunity to observe and monitor which varieties develop well at higher soil temps. Seems an interesting topic in light of rising Global Temperature?
• Create a catalog of all potato varieties grown locally (except for commercial) including the features of each variety and their best use in the kitchen (recipes).

If you are interested to grow rare potato varieties, please send me an email at seedsaver@curzio.com to reserve your seed. Seed may be available at no charge or for a fee of $6 depending on factors that need to be cleared.

Respond as soon as possible (by the end of April for next 2012 growing season), or let me add your name to my contact list for the following year.

You can succesfully grow potato for seed purposes even if you plant as late as June. The tubers will not grow very large if planted late. This can even be beneficial, as you may avoid some early pests and smaller tubers will work better for seed use next year.

There are many sources available for potato seed [especially in larger quantity]. Kenosha Potato Project potato seed is either collected locally at Kenosha HarborMarket, or can be ordered by becoming a Member of Seed Saver Exchange - Please call 563-382-5990 to enroll or click here - Yearly membership fee is $40 or $25 for fix income:

http://www.seedsavers.org/_to enroll

To be eligible to receive seed without becoming a SSE member, you must agree with the guidelines and sign this Pledge Document.

Click here to review and print out the Pledge Document

Example of what you are pledging to:

Assuming you have room in your garden for one 15 feet row of potatoes, you would grow 3 varieties. Perhaps I have 4 - 6 tubers per variety for you to plant. We can estimate that you are going to have at least 36 tubers of each variety at the end of the season. Kenosha Potato Project expects you to save at least 4 - 6 tubers to replant next year in your garden, and 4 - 6 tubers for a new gardener. These are tips for proper winter storage. The balance of the crop is yours to eat, replant, sell or give to friends and food pantries.

The second year you can renew your pledge - every year that you renew your pledge, the number of growers who save each variety will grow by at least one, and the survival of all varieties will be secured.

KPP is counting on your future alliance and feedback. We are mostly interested to learn how you are using each variety in your kitchen. What recipies work best. A listing of potato recipes will be linked to the KPP Catalog. We strongly believe that by providing specific BEST use for each variety, future generations will feel compelled to keep growing them.

Each participant will be credited on the catalog web pages with a code that protects your identity. Only the first grower for each variety is listed, as long as the variety is grown - so that records can be kept of who is responsible for the source seed. [Unfortunately I don't have time to keep up with web page updates > if you wish to be given credit on my web pages, please email me a note. Thanks, Curzio]

Also, we are interested to perfect the catalog listing with your feedback to correct mistakes. To keep the listing simple, we only divide the catalog in 2 categories per feature:

Water - Starch Content: Waxy varieties contain less starch and work best in some kitchen applications. Starchy varieties contain less water and work best for baking, for instance. Details will be disclosed in the Recipe listing linked to each variety.

[Waxy vs. Starchy determination: We don't have access to Lab Instruments therefore my "non-scientific test" is done by boiling potato for my breakfast with skins on, then pressing with a fork against the skinned potato piece. Waxy varieties resist the pressure, while starchy collapse to mash].

Round - Long Shape: Fingerlings grow long, and the preferred feature for baking and French fries is found in the Long Shape. Again Round or Long is an indication that finds benefit in the use in the kitchen.

Early - Late: Traditionally potato varieties are divided in early - mid - late season, this not a "traditional listing!!!" We flag as "Early" any potato that is "done" by the end of August (done = vines are dry) as we believe that tubers develop greater storage strength by drawing all energy from the vines. The features of very early or very late varieties will be disclosed in the cultivar description of the catalog. XX = Very Late or Exceptionally Early.

Any historic data that adds value to any variety will be published in the catalog, while in the list below, to highlight the older varieties, find in the first column after the name, either LR for Landrace or the year of hybrid release (old = approx 100 or older).

You get credit for your contribution with your first name. Your identity is protected by KPP, unless you become a listed Seed Savers Exchange member, as your name and address is published in the SEE Yearbook. [Again, unfortunately I don't have time to keep up with web page updates > if you wish to be given credit on my web pages, please email me a note. Thanks, Curzio]

To find any potato variety, just scroll down the catalog page or click on the variety name listed below.

Potato Colors: WHITE - YELLOW - RED / PINK - BLUE / BLACK

flesh - flesh - skin and/or flesh - skin and/or flesh

• 2008 - Yearly Report - 20 Gardeners
• 2009 - Yearly Report - 80 Gardeners
• 2010 - Yearly Report - 102 Facebook Friends

Curzio Caravati is the Kenosha Potato Project Curator. He is a vendor and a manager at Kenosha HarborMarket [the market runs outdoors mid May to mid October and indoors for the balance of the year - you can find Curzio at the market almost every Saturday!

If you'd like to participate with the Kenosha Potato Project - here are your options:

• If you live in Southeastern Wisconsin - please email me at seedsaver@curzio.com
• If you live somewhere else in the USA or Canada - are you a member of Seed Saver Exchange? We have a few gardener who participate with the Kenosha Potato Project within the Seed Saver Exchange.
• We have members of our Global Potato Network in Europe and are always please to cooperate with any gardener / farmer. Sending seed abroad is restricted or difficult ... but we may find ways to cooperate.
• Also, please visit our "Vertical Growth - 99 lbs in micro plot Challenge web pages" kenoshapotato.com

Please take the time to sign-up on the Kenosha Potato Facebook page to be kept posted on the progress. Click here to go to Facebook.