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A few years ago I became a member of the Seed Savers Exchange, I learned how to save seed and in 2008 I became a listed member. In 2010 the KPP list will grow to more than 240 potato varieties, high-lighted by color at the bottom of this page (about 190 of them currently grown in my garden).
Learn more about Seed Saver Exchange |
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| Wanted: Your participation - please send me an email to seedsaver@curzio.com to be added to our Potato Gardener Network and / or Join us on Facebook - search for Kenosha Potato Project.
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| Some seed is difficult to save (pure seed without cross-pollination) and some is very easy. Some crops are actually not propagated with true seed. The potato belongs to the latter. Save a few tubers and you have a crop for next year. Potatoes are quite easy to grow. | ||||||||
| What is the Kenosha Potato Project?
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. 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. Seed Saver Exchange and its curator Will Bonsall are growing all these "name" varieties! We don't want to think about any catastrophic events ... but anyone can agree that it's always best to have your eggs in many baskets, rather than putting them all in the same place, in the same fields.
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| Would you like to participate?
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 $5 depending on factors that need to be cleared. Respond as soon as possible (by the end of April for this 2010 growing season), or let me add your name to my contact list for next 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. You would get a few tubers, grow a crop, and return a few tubers to me to overwinter for next year (unless you are certain that you will be able to save your seed for the following year). The balance of the crop is your food. If you don't like the variety that you grew, the seed tubers will go to someone else next year. Obviously you will be able to grow several varieties, if you have room in your garden. Estimated space per variety - five linear feet the first year, a row of 15 feet the second year. More if you wish for the following years. I grow 50 feet for my kitchen. Obviously I don't purchase any potatoes at the grocery store! The rare seed offer is reserved to folks that pledge to save some tubers for seed (so that we can keep each variety available). Before reserving your seed, you must make a pledge to the cause of Seed Saving - Priority will be given to people that also become members 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, 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. 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. 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, but to keep the listing simple we mark as "Early" any potato that develops tubers of decent size available to "steal" in July to early August. The features of very early or very late varieties will be disclosed in the cultivar description of the catalog. XX = Very Late. 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. To find any potato variety, just scroll down the catalog page or click on the variety name listed below. |
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| Can I order any particular variety?
Not for your first year of participation, this is a genetic conservation effort, NOT a seed catalog. Unfortunately most rare varieties have been grown for many years just for the purpose of saving seed, not for cooking them. Records of each variety's "best use in the kitchen" are lost. By participating in this project you take the risk of growing a variety that is useless in your kitchen, but may become the favorite of someone else. On the other hand you may produce the best spuds that you have ever tasted. In any case you can take credit for participating in a project that ensures biodiversity and perhaps you will discover new recipies and uses of this food staple. If you prefer to sit on the fence this year and see what happens next year, please book-mark this page and return to review the Kenosha Collection catalog. In time you will have the priviledge of ordering any specific variety through SSE - You will have to be a LISTED SSE member to order seed from KPP! That means that you have to save and share seed of any listed crop in SSE Yearbook. For instance you can list beans or tomato seeds, and order any specific potato cultivars. You DON'T need to be a Seed Savers Exchange Member to grow seed for the Kenosha Potato Project. The first year you have to grow the seed assigned to you. The second year specific seed request can be considered. Seed Exchage between KPP growers is promoted. Potato Colors: WHITE - YELLOW - RED / PINK - BLUE / BLACK flesh - flesh - skin and/or flesh - skin and/or flesh
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Last entry # 222 - Last update May 2010 - Irish Cobbler
Curzio Caravati is the Kenosha Potato Project Curator. He is a vendor at Kenosha HarborMarket and sends weekly e-News during the market season, including special vendor offers, who is the Chef to demonstrate recipes, which artist or band is performing, any special activity in the area, and a plan showing where vendors are located.
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| Wanted: Potato Gardeners
If you'd like to participate with the Kenosha Potato Project - here are your options:
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.
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