How do you grow the perfect potato?
You start with the perfect seed of course! Every successful potato harvest begins much earlier in the year with planting. Before delicious Colorado potatoes can make it to your plate, they are first grown with the absolute greatest of care by our Colorado growers. While springtime may evoke images of spring flowers and warmer weather for you, for our hard working Colorado growers, springtime means getting potato seed in the ground so it’s ready for harvest in the fall.
Not Your Average Seed
Potato seed isn’t your typical seed. Have you ever left a potato uneaten too long? (Of course you haven’t, they’re too delicious, but let’s just pretend.) You may have noticed some small sprouts emerging from the potato. This is the potato attempting to grow into a new potato plant. Potato “seed” is part or whole of a potato that is replanted to grow a new plant. Small potato seed can be planted as is, but larger potatoes must be cut into smaller pieces. However, if the seeds are cut too small, the plant won’t grow. That’s why it takes the seasoned eye of experienced Colorado potato farmers to ensure that potato seed is cut just right. Seeds can be hand-cut or cut by machine, depending on the size of the operation.
Quality as high as our Mountains
Because of the way that potatoes are planted, it is of the upmost importance that the potato seed used is strong and healthy. Any imperfection of the potato seed can lead to problems with the potatoes it produces. In Colorado, we produce the highest quality of potatoes, and that starts with the highest quality of potato seed! All Colorado potato seed is subject to the Colorado Seed Potato Act, which sets the standards for minimizing diseases in the potato crop. Colorado Certified Seed Potato growers have taken the steps to ensure they are following all of the standards and regulations for Colorado certified seed potatoes. To find out more about Colorado Certified Seed Potato growers, visit the Colorado Certified Seed Potato Growers’ Association (CCPGA)’s website. To learn more about Colorado potato seed, visit the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s website.
