With the Canadian Spud Congress coming up on March 22 and 23, we’re highlighting the sessions happening at it on Spud Smart. In this story we’re taking a closer look at the “What to do with Ugly Spuds?” session.
Not every potato you grow is going to be perfectly round and the required sale size. So what do we do with these edible “ugly” or misshapen spuds? In this panel discussion we’ll look at opportunities for the potato industry to sell these not so perfects spuds to consumers.
Moderator: Ashley Robinson, editor of Spud Smart
Time: 1:45 p.m. CDT on March 22
Panelists
Brian Roe has his PhD and is the Van Buren professor in the department of agricultural, environmental and development economics at Ohio State University. Roe has worked broadly in the areas of agricultural and environmental economics, focusing on issues including food waste, agricultural marketing, information policy, farm nutrient management, behavioural economics and product quality. He also helped form and currently leads the Ohio State Food Waste Collaborative and co-directs a National Science Foundation funded research network, with a focus on addressing wasted food.
Shelly Harris has been an organic farmer with Fraserland Organics Inc. in Delta, B.C. since 1995. Fraserland Organics grows potatoes, barley, green beans, corn and peas — all organic. After realizing approximately 25 per cent of their potato crops were being graded out do to minor skin defects or odd shapes and sizes, they joined the “ugly veg movement” and started Pugly Potatoes in 2015.
