What can we learn from people who are growing potatoes at high latitudes around the world?
Potatoes are an easy to grow staple for northern people and with rising temperatures and lengthening growing seasons have the potential to be a key element of food sustainability. We are investigating the practice of growing potatoes in difficult northern climates with the intent of sharing information from northern growers and perhaps eventually identifying potato varieties that can provide a viable source of food.
Growing potatoes in Svinoy, Faroe Islands
Richard Hebda and Maud C. á Geilini Photographs by Maud C. á Geilini. Svinoy postage stamp issued by the Faroese Postal Authority, The potato fields described and illustrated in this article are located in the bright green area at the head of the bay. Faroes Islands...
Potatoes In Northern Climates
Potatoes are an easy to grow staple for northern people and with rising temperatures and lengthening growing seasons have the potential to be a key element of food sustainability. We are investigating the practice of growing potatoes in difficult northern climates...
Kevo Finland: the most northern potato field in the world?
Through an acquaintance of my sister, Lucy, we have discovered how potatoes are grown in northern Finland almost at 70 degrees north latitude. This may be one of the most northern potato growing area in the world. The Finnish word for potato is peruna (plural...
Perestroika potatoes in Tomsk, Central Siberia
July 2021 The city of Tomsk is located in central Siberia at about 56 degrees 30 minutes north latitude (N). Potatoes are widely grown in the area and are a staple food in the diet of the Russian people of the region. My friend, and botanical colleague, Marina Olonova...
Faroe Islands
It is hard to imagine how different the climate of the Faroe Islands (North Atlantic Ocean) is than that of northern Siberia (see post on Ust Nera ). Located at 62 degrees north latitude between the Shetland Islands of the United Kingdom and Iceland the tiny Faroes...
Iceland
Even further north than the Faroes, Icelanders are also able to grow potatoes even as far north as Akureyri at 65.40 degrees north latitude. The climate is similar to that of the Faroe Islands with a narrow annual temperature range. Summers are cool and short with...