La papa es peruana!!

Potato expert sure knows her stuff

Posted 7 hours ago

Letter to the editor:
This year is the year of the potato and who is better qualified to talk about the potato than Dr. Eugenia Banks? Dr. Banks is Ontario's potato specialist working for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. On May 27, Dr. Banks was guest speaker at the Champlain Senior Service Club's ladies day event, held at Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club.
Dr. Banks began her talk by stating the fact that she loved her job and looked forward to every working day. Dr. Banks moved to Canada from Chile, her homeland, and she speaks with a delightful Spanish accent. She graduated from the University of Chile with a bachelor of science degree and came to the University of Guelph where she attained her Msc. and later her Ph. D.
She illustrated her talk with pictures and began by going into the history of the potato going back some 7,000 years to the mountain slopesof Peru. Dr. Banksthen brought us forward in time to the Middle Ages when the potato was introduced into Europe and finally to today, and the importance of the potato to our food intake and to our economy.
In the early part of the year she works in a warehouse near the town of Alliston which is in the heart of the potato belt. Here she assesses new varieties looking for any that may have the tendency for early sprouting, a condition that is undesirable. Once the weather warms up, she is then focused on planting and for her it is a hands-on activity. When she took her leave of us, it was to return to her farm plot and continue planting since the weather so far has not co-operated with her project.
Dr. Banks listed different varieties for specific uses. For example, Superior, a red potato is ideal for potato salads while Cecile is best for finger food. She went on to mention the superior quality of some of the new blue potatoes.
One point that she emphasized was the nutrient loss when potatoes are boiled. She stated that if this procedure was necessary, then the water now containing nutrients should be saved and used in soups.
Following her talk, there was a brief question and answer period but this did not end there. She was constantly approached by ladies on a one-on-one basis.
After lunch, we saw her out to a large white Ministry of Agriculture van which was a cross between a storage shed and a workshop. It was fascinating inside.
It was a great day and we thank you Dr. Banks.
Bill Keller