Now potatoes can be a boring subject.  Everyone has them and most do not think about the source or are there better varieties.  We have all heard about Idaho Potatoes and PEI Potatoes, but I am here to extol Saskatchewan Potatoes.

In Ontario and here in BC we bought local potatoes.  Yukon Gold potatoes which took the industry by storm 20 years ago, with the sweeter taste and yellow flesh were actually developed at the University of Guelph in Ontario.  For a long time you had to license them by name which must have paid fees to the U of G but then cheating and slight modifications allowed everyone to make them.

When we moved to the Island, we did have local potatoes occasionally but kind of grew away from them.  We like to follow the 100 km trend and buying local from farmers seemed like neat, like wearing headbands and listening to David Suzuki. 

Then we met Harry and Marie who moved into our neighbourhood.  He is a semi retired potato farmer from Saskatoon area.  I learned that he is not a simple farmer with bib coveralls and a pickup truck.  He owns a huge operation with a hundred employees and is the largest supplier in the Province of Saskatchewan. 

Now I had shared my views on my opinions on life and Harry told me that local potatoes are terrible.  Eh, Ok everyone is allowed an opinion.  So when he went back to his operation in January he brought back a bushel of his potatoes.  Half yellow flesh and half red skinned. 

 Apparently there is a difference in where you grow them.  The potatoes are delicious and we are now putting them back into our regular dining.  I suspect this is the same secret that Idaho has.  Lots of sun, cool evenings and just enough but not too much water.