b'FindingNew Land in NewfoundlandNewfoundland potato productionto double thanks to new crownland leases. BY: MADELEINE BAERGAS POTATO GROWERS across the country geared up for planting this spring, three farms in Newfoundland and Labrador found themselves in an enviable positionthey suddenly had more acres than planned to roll into production. In April, the Newfoundland and Labrador government announced the successful applicants for new crown leases of agricultural land. In total, the government released 700 acres of cleared land at three sites, each intended primarily for potato production. The ability to grow and produce our own food here at home is crucial to this provinces future. Our geographic location and the recent pandemic remind us that access to fresh, local food and improved food self-sufficiency here at home has never been more important, explains Derrick Bragg, minister of the Newfoundland and Labrador department of fisheries, forestry and agriculture, in an email.Based on a three-year rotation, approximately 230 of the 700 acres will be planted to potatoes annually. Bragg predicts the land has the potential to yield over 15 million pounds each year, which will more than double Newfoundland and Labradors current potato production and help the province achieve its goal of doubling its food self-sufficiency to 20 per cent by 2022. Bragg says land development initiatives are a vital part of supporting Newfoundland and Labradors vision for a stronger agriculture sector. At a lease rate of $4 per hectare per year, and a lease length of 50 years, the crown land leases help increase the availability of affordable farmland on the island.These leases are one of the best mechanisms the provincial government has to protect valuable agriculture land and ensure it is used for agricultural purposes, says Bragg. One of the first crops planted at Deadwater Brook in northwestern Newfoundland.PHOTOS: ADAM ANDERSON24SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2021'