Comments on: Bread afflicted? Praise for potato http://boyinthebands.com/archives/bread-afflicted-praise-for-potato/ Scott Wells on the practice of Christian faith Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:08:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Dan http://boyinthebands.com/archives/bread-afflicted-praise-for-potato/#comment-47467 Dan Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:03:16 +0000 http://boyinthebands.com/?p=2522#comment-47467 You write: "Potatoes can yield more food in a given space than wheat, rice or corn." Back when I lived in a place where I had a garden, I once got 50 pounds of potatoes out of a raised bed that was eight feet long and three feet wide. The downside of potatoes in my climate is that they are susceptible to scab, a viral infection that lives in the soil and pretty much means that you have to buy your seed potatoes from someone else (can't use a few of this year's potatoes for next year's seed potatoes). The downside to potatoes for city gardeners is that they are a below-ground crop, and too often the soil in city gardens is contaminated by lead from lead paint run-off. But these are minor downsides to a truly amazing vegetable. You write: “Potatoes can yield more food in a given space than wheat, rice or corn.” Back when I lived in a place where I had a garden, I once got 50 pounds of potatoes out of a raised bed that was eight feet long and three feet wide.

The downside of potatoes in my climate is that they are susceptible to scab, a viral infection that lives in the soil and pretty much means that you have to buy your seed potatoes from someone else (can’t use a few of this year’s potatoes for next year’s seed potatoes). The downside to potatoes for city gardeners is that they are a below-ground crop, and too often the soil in city gardens is contaminated by lead from lead paint run-off. But these are minor downsides to a truly amazing vegetable.

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