PEI Potato Growers Are Rooted In Their Communities This Fall

Like most Islanders, Prince Edward Island potato growers, as individuals, feel a responsibility to be involved in their local communities, as it is our collective sense of community action and pride that makes our province a great place to live. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board, on behalf of all Island potato growers, is also proud to be rooted in our community through support of a number of exciting events this September and October.

The PEI Shellfish Festival (September 18th-21st) is one of the marquee events on the Prince Edward Island tourism calendar and is the heart of PEI Fall Flavours each year. PEI potato growers are proud to be a sponsor of the Shellfish Festival through our sponsorship of the PEI Potato and Seafood Chowder Competition each year. Remember to stop by our booth on the festival grounds to pick up our latest PEI Potatoes recipes as well as a sample of Root Beer and Potato Chocolate Cake baked by Chef Ilona Daniel!

Also returning as part of the Fall Flavours Festival this year is the second edition of Toe Taps & Taters, a celebration of the potato held on September 26th at the Canadian Potato Museum in O’Leary. This year, our host celebrity chef is Chuck Hughes of Montreal, host of his own shows on the Food Network Canada as well as Iron Chef America and Chopped Canada. The menu will feature a range of dishes that showcase the versatility of potatoes, including Chef Chuck’s famous Lobster Poutine! Tickets for this event are going fast and are available by visiting www.fallflavours.ca

Close on the heels of Toe Taps & Taters is Farm Day in the City, the annual event where Island farmers and farm organizations take over Queen Street in Charlottetown to celebrate the harvest bounty of Prince Edward Island agriculture and showcase the Island’s #1 industry to visitors and Islanders alike. PEI Potatoes will be there handing out delicious recipes and I Heart PEI Potato decals to everyone that stops by our display to learn about the history, present and future of potato farming on PEI.

On Saturday, October 18th, the PEI Potato Board is proud to present the Kids Spud Run, a free event for kids up to 14 years old held at the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Track in Charlottetown. All participants will receive a free t-shirt and will be cheered on by our mascot, Tate! The Kids Spud Run is held as part of the PEI Marathon (www.peimarathon.com) each October.

Last but not least, PEI Potatoes are proud to be one of the title sponsors of Out of This World with Colonel Chris Hadfield on October 30th at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Through a keynote speech followed by a question and answer session as well as an evening VIP reception, Col. Hadfield will visit Prince Edward Island to talk about his experiences as a Canadian astronaut and global celebrity via social media! While he is on the Island, Col. Hadfield will also have a chance to dig up some PEI Potatoes planted in his honour, which we will be sharing on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

This autumn is once again jam-packed with great events across our province. The potato growers of PEI are proud to be able to help present a number of these events and they look forward to meeting a large number of fellow Islanders and visitors to our province this harvest season!

Prince Edward Island Potatoes are world renowned for the great taste and quality that comes from growing in the unique red soil of PEI. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is a producer-controlled association dedicated to supporting the highest performance of an economically and environmentally sustainable potato industry. The potato industry is worth over $1 billion to the Prince Edward Island economy each year.