Promoting Potatoes
March 9, 2010 
Specialty potato growers are people who eat and enjoy good food, and that includes the food they grow. As food-lovers who are passionate about their products and the way they are grown and distributed to other food-lovers, allied specialty potato growers take pride in sharing their fingerling and heirloom potatoes with the public through a set of standards focused on high-quality crops, year-round availability, fair market prices, superior food safety accreditation, coast-to-coast distribution channels, and a dedication to excellence.The Specialty Potato Alliance (SPA), based in Mountainside, NJ, with offices in California and Colorado, was formed to promote the use of high-quality fingerling and specialty potatoes. The concept began at the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Houston, TX, trade show in 2005, and SPA was officially formed the following spring, as a group of passionate farmers working together with two specialty distribution companies: Coosemans Shipping of L.A. in California and Culinary Specialty Produce in New Jersey. Through the alliance, their goal was to build a foundation based on sharing the best potato products with customers who search for the highest quality.
“Our vision is to set the standards by which specialty potatoes, like fingerlings and heirloom varieties, are farmed, harvested, packed, and distributed,” says Richard Leibowitz of Culinary Specialty Produce. “This is a group of ‘Farmers Who Care.’ We are dedicated to providing the best quality, service, and support available while developing year-round programs for our family of products.”
The Flavor Of Success
Fingerling potatoes are mature tubers with complex flavors. Easy to prepare because of their compact size, they naturally provide appropriate portions. Inside each bag and box produced by SPA are fingerling potatoes grown in limited quantities, harvested under rigid standards, and packaged for connoisseurs of concentrated flavor, says Leibowitz.
“Each fingerling potato has unique characteristics: Golden fingerlings are a full-flavored, buttery potato; French fingerlings are moist and streaked with red and have a dense consistency; the Ruby Crescent has rich yellow flesh and a rouge outer skin; the Purple potatoes are flavorful with a light texture, though their brilliant blue color usually fades slightly when cooked,” he says.
Under the Culinary Harvest and Les Bons Petits brand names, flavorful, hand-selected fingerlings are developed and grown with care, given the dedicated attention that small farms provide, according to Leibowitz. The rich soil provided in multiple growing regions assures year-round quality and availability so food-lovers have constant supply.
the passion and ethics of farmers who care with modern distribution and food safety requirements, and the results are extraordinary.”
Catering To Customers
Primary customers of SPA products include retailers, wholesalers, and terminal markets throughout the U.S. Exports are currently limited, despite international interest, and SPA continues to focus primarily on the domestic market, Leibowitz says.
“Through our network of forward distribution, we can provide many of our customers ‘just in time delivery’ within 24 or 48 hours,” he says. “We grow, pack, ship, and deliver at locations best suited to our customers’
geographic and economic needs.”
SPA currently has four principal members, two of which are growers, and the group has alliances with another six growers who are not yet members. Grower members and allies are located in California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
“When we begin to admit new growers, we want to be able to handle their entire crop,” Leibowitz says. “If they meet the SPA standards, they can expect a good return on their harvest. They will also be provided with proprietary packaging and seed. Finally, SPA will create a network of growers that can share information in conferences and newsletters sponsored by SPA.”
Variety Introductions
Since its formation in 2007, SPA has introduced two successful fingerling varieties, according to Leibowitz. Its ongoing seed development programs test several hundred potential varieties each year.
“These phenotypes are more disease-resistant, grow more quickly, and have better appearance and superior flavor,” says Leibowitz. “Our next variety we hope to introduce next year is a red on red fingerling we hope to call Merlot.”
For more information on the Specialty Potato Alliance, visit www.potatoalliance.com.
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