Hello hello!
Does it also happen to you that with this heat the workday seems to last twice as long? 🌞
Here in the fields of Valencia, when the sun beats down, fieldwork (which I told you about last week) is done in "slow mode." Not because we have a tropical spirit, but because between sunstroke and sweat, only lizards and the very brave can handle working during the central hours of the day... And we're not up for experiments anymore!
Of course, as good farmers, we take advantage of the break to keep learning. And today I want to share a story with you that personally left me speechless the first time I read it.
I'm talking about how, thanks to a French pharmacist, we now have the potato so present in kitchens throughout Europe.
If it weren't for Antoine Augustin de Parmentier, instead of mashed potatoes or Spanish omelette, we would be eating... turnips? Beetroot peelings? Air with hope?
It turns out that this man, back in the 18th century, was captured during the war and imprisoned in Prussia. There, to save himself from hunger, he basically ate potatoes.
And upon returning to France, he set out to convince the whole country that potatoes were a serious matter. Not only had they saved him from hunger, but they were a delight.
The funny thing about it is how he did it. Using extreme reverse psychology: he planted potatoes in some fields in Paris, surrounded them with armed guards... but only during the day! At night the fields were "unwatched"... and so, of course, people went crazy stealing potatoes to try that guarded treasure.
Over time, between banquets for the rich with 20-course menus full of potatoes and scientific studies proving they didn't cause leprosy (yes, people thought that), he achieved the unthinkable: that France —and then half of Europe— surrendered to the tuber.
And the best part: now it turns out that the potato is one of the most important crops in the world.
At Campos del Abuelo, the Vivaldi potatoes we have are grown by my fellow farmer Vicent in the Valencia garden.
Well, here we are with cauliflowers 🤣, but this is Vicent and me in his fields:
This potato story has more intrigue than a Netflix series and more agricultural impact than rain in August. If your curiosity has been piqued—and admit it, it has a little—I invite you to read the full story on our blog.
I promise it won't bore you, and hey, amidst so many heatwaves, it's a good time to enjoy a read with air conditioning (or a fan at full blast).
It's summer, the trees slow down and so do we. But knowledge, that doesn't stop... especially if it comes with stories as good as that of the lifesaving potato.
You can learn much more about the potato (although we can also call it Parmentier's best friend), in this article on our blog.
A big hug from the fields we always know! We'll keep in touch 😉
See you next week.
