Tristan Potato Crop News

POTATOES

The potato crop on Tristan relies entirely on manual labour and is the responsibility of each family.  Each family cultivated about an acre of ground annually.

Potatoes were first introduced to the island in 1816 when the first settlers arrived and have been grown on the same land each year without rotation.

Potatoes are easily grown in this volcanic soil.  Wheat was introduced in the 19th century but the problem with rats and mice made things difficult for this crop to be successfully grown.  Therefore potatoes, which were already being grown, proved to be the better of the two crops when harvested.  The varieties of the potatoes now available on the island are Epicura ("Smooth skins") and Vanderplank ("White Blossom") Green Mountains etc.  The potato since the 19th Century has been the islanders staple diet and is still the case today., old recipes such as potato cakes, and potato puddings boiled in a bag are still cooked today.

The islanders also use potatoes for cattle and poultry feed, especially the cattle in winter when grazing is often limited.  The growing of potatoes by islanders will carry on from generation to generation as all Tristanians rely greatly on their potato crops.

Derek Rogers