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Slimming Down the Spud
Profit Magazine, May 2004
Timber River, N.B. — You've been under a rock if you haven't
heard of the Atkin's diet, a low-carbohydrate weight-loss plan
that banishes
bread,
pasta and potatoes. Sure it works, but nutritionists don't love
it — nor do Maritime potato farmers, whose storage barns are filled
with heaps of unwanted spuds.
Full of vitamin C, potassium and fibre, potatoes are getting
a bad rap, says the P.E.I. Potato Board, which has responded by
doubling its advertising budget to $800,000.
Still, some farmers are taking matters into their own hands.
Pirmin Kummer, owner of Timber River Eco Farms, decided if he can't
beat the low-carb craze, he'll join it. In March, he had two of
his less starchy potato strains tested, and just as he suspected,
they contain up to 30% fewer carbs than traditional Russets or
Yukon Golds.
His potatoes, currently available only in New Brunswick, will
soon be stamped "low-carb". The plan is to export them to retailers
in Ontario and the West by September. Thanks to the media attention
Kummer has received it should be an easy sell: "This has really
put us on [the] map."
— Kim Shiffman
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