Until we went to New Brunswick, I was very much one of those “a potato is just a potato, right?” kind of people. I mean, it IS just a potato. But, then we saw first-hand that McDonald’s Canada goes to great lengths to make sure that their fries are not just good, but THE BEST. And they are able to do this thanks to some of the NB farmers who live and breathe potatoes.
And I’ll have you know, it’s not as simple as you think…just planting and digging, right?…or, you know, as *I* actually thought. The farmers – just like McDonald’s – want their potatoes to be THE BEST. They make sure they cultivate the land so there’s limited sunburn (the green you sometimes see on potatoes) and they use only the accepted sprays to ward of pests and disease.
There is only one harvest per season, and it happens in early fall, about 120 days after 2-ounce potato pieces are planted into the ground. And the harvest is such a big deal that in mid-September, schools in the area actually take a “potato break” to allow the entire community to come out and participate in bringing in the harvest.
Potatoes are dug using windrowers and harvesters, they are separated from foreign material – soil, rocks, debris etc., and then stored for 10 months to be used for the rest of the year.
We got to actually go out to the field and help Enoil Coté on the land he has worked for over 50 years. And by “help”, I actually mean ride the machines and stare in awe at how amazing this potato business truly is.
And now I totally want to move to New Brunswick and be a farmer.
No, really. I DO.