From Eugenia Banks and the Ontario Potato Board:
The 2024 Ontario Potato Field Day was a superb event.
The attendance of 300+ guests exceeded expectations. It was the largest number of attendees we have ever had. They enjoyed the fantastic display of HJV Equipment; as per growers’ opinion, it is probably the best in NA! As expected, the mobile trailer washer got lots of attention. It was nice to see HJV Equipment staff mingling with growers discussing the finer points of the machinery on display.
As expected, the Trade Show exhibiting new technologies drew lots of attendees.
The variety display included new and standard potato varieties that attracted lots of growers’ attention. There were promising russets, white-fleshed and yellow-fleshed varieties.
Two new chippers were round and even sized, but the real test will be when they are fried.
Dr Peter Vander Zaag — a potato grower, breeder and global scientist — had a display of new late-blight and virus-resistant varieties ideal for organic production.
They were developed by a collaborative group of breeders that includes Joyce and Robert Coffin.
SP 80 It is a tasty, yellow-fleshed variety that remained clean when the surrounding organic field was devastated by late blight.
SP 81 is an oblong variety for French fries with low reducing sugar. The variety can be stored cold; it produces good fries and acceptable chips when warmed in the spring.
SP 80 and SP 81 are grown within First Nations communities in Northern Ontario.
