WETASKIWIN, Alta. – An Alberta man who recently registered a new potato variety says the discovery is simply the fruit of his untidiness.
John Safroniuk said his new Alta Blush potato grew out of a pile of old vines discarded in the garden.
“This was a chance accident. I harvested my potatoes in the fall and wasn’t really as neat as I should have been and tossed the potato vines in the corner of the garden.”
He burned the old vines in the spring of 1992, but noticed potato plants growing where the pile had been.
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When he dug the potatoes that fall, they came out of the ground in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, the result of the different types of potatoes self-pollinating.
After five years of selective breeding, Safroniuk came up with Alta Blush, a medium-sized potato with reddish brown skin and a tinge of pink.
“It’s a unique potato. It’s a little different than what’s out there on the market.”
What started as a gardening hobby turned into a full-time job.
“I felt it should be on the market,” said Safroniuk from his home on five acres of land outside Wetaskiwin.
Michelle Konschuk, a potato research scientist with Alberta Agriculture’s Crop Development Centre South in Brooks, Alta., said Safroniuk’s story is unique.
It’s not hard to breed potatoes, but it’s quite a long process to get them registered.
“It’s a long process and it involves a lot of work.”
Konschuk said Safroniuk is one of only four individuals she knows of in Canada breeding potatoes. Most of the research is done through the federal government’s Potato Centre of Excellence in New Brunswick.
Safroniuk said he is growing and testing two more potato varieties, but he doesn’t know if he will apply for plant breeders rights as he did with Alta Blush.
“I’m a senior. I just do it for curiosity more than anything. I haven’t made any money yet off this.”
Safroniuk said he sometimes compared his own varieties of carrots, parsnips and other vegetables with vegetables grown from seed catalogues.
“I’m quite pleased in a lot of cases. I’m a firm believer plants will adjust to the climate and soil conditions after several generations.”
Safroniuk has no formal training in plant breeding. He left the family farm when he was 17.
Andrea Cleland of Arber Greenhouse in Millet, Alta., said local gardeners snapped up 100 pounds of Alta Blush seed potatoes sold through her greenhouse in 2008.
“Our customers were really excited by something that was locally produced and locally created.”
The greenhouse has ordered 600 lb. of seed potatoes this year.
Kevin Twomey of T & T Seeds in Winnipeg said he began selling Alta Blush through his seed catalogue this year because he was impressed with the potato and Safroniuk’s story.
“The amount of work and time John has spent over the years is very impressive,” Twomey said.
“It’s very hard for small people to get into this big business.”
Early catalogue orders for the potatoes are doing well, he added.
“We’re always interested in local varieties.”
Alberta seed potato grower Jake Hoogland of Millet, who was contracted to grow the potato for seed, said the potato would do well for home gardeners.
“It’s not a pretty potato, but it has a very nice taste,” said Hoogland, who grows 24 varieties on his 250 acre potato farm south of Edmonton.
“It’s a typical backyard potato. People really like the taste.”
Safroniuk said Alta Blush is his wife’s favourite table potato, which also led to disaster when she kept dipping into his seed potato supply.
“We just about ate it up.”
