Priekuļi: the place where community grow potatoes and potatoes grow community

The aim was to promote the re-establishment of Priekuļi as the “potato capital,” to give residents and visitors the opportunity to see and learn about the different potato varieties developed here, and to learn about the importance of using healthy planting material for a high and quality potato harvest.

The involvement of the administration of Priekuļi Municipality and the preschool “Mežmaliņa” increased the interest of the municipality’s inhabitants in the heritage of potato varieties created in Priekuļi.
In Priekuļi Saules Park, various Latvian medicinal plants have been growing next to the Health Trail. This year, on May 10, employees of the administration of Priekuļi Municipality planted “Priekuļi Visagrie,” “Agrie Dzeltenie,” “Agra,” “Laima,” and “Laimdota” potato tubers in several beds.

On 9 May, the “Pūcītes skoliņa” group of the Priekuļi preschool educational institution “Mežmaliņa” went to the AREI Priekuļi Research Centre, where they received specially selected tubers of four potato varieties that were created in Latvia or have been cultivated for a long time. AREI researchers entrusted the children with the cultivation of the ‘Agra’, ‘Laima’, ‘Madara’, and ‘Agrie Rožu’ varieties. Together with their teachers and other helpers, the children prepared the beds and planted the potatoes on 13 May. Two weeks later, the children experienced the joy of seeing the first potato leaves.

Throughout the summer, every visitor to the Priekuļi Saules Park could follow the growth of potatoes, see how each variety differs, and see how many different colors the flowers of potato varieties created right here in Priekuļi can have.
Both the administration of Priekuļi Municipality staff and the kids and staff of the preschool “Mežmaliņa” made sure that the potatoes did not have to compete with weeds and that their leaves were not damaged by beetles. The “Pūcītes skoliņa” group not only picked the beetles but also counted them.

On August 14, the harvest of potatoes grown in the Saules parks was harvested, and the “Pūcītes skoliņa” harvested potatoes at the end of August.
Shortly after the start of the new school year, on 9 September, the “Pūcītes skoliņa” group made potato pancakes from their own potatoes to celebrate a successful potato-growing season.

The administration of Priekuli Municipality celebrated the harvest festival on September 25 with a real focus on citizen science. They weighed the yield of each grown variety and evaluated the characteristics of each variety during a tasting with 17 participants. The varieties ‘Agra’ and ‘Laima’ yielded the highest yield, with 3.2 and 2.5 kg, respectively; the other varieties yielded 2 kg of potatoes each. The tasters recognized the variety ‘Agrie Dzeltenie’ as the most delicious, awarding ‘Agra’ 2nd place, ‘Priekulu Visagrie’ 3rd place, and ‘Laima’ and ‘Laimdota’ 4th and 5th place, respectively.
We were able to compare how the growing conditions affect the potatoes based on the yield at both cultivation sites and the size of the tubers. We discovered that the type of hollow the potatoes grow in, the spacing between them, and the soil all have an impact. Hopefully, this experience will also be useful for other potato growers, especially those who are just about to try growing potatoes in their small garden, backyard flower bed, or maybe even in the park.

Participation in the project cultivated children’s curiosity and comprehension of natural processes, enhanced their cooperation skills, and brought joy to the completed tasks. In addition, through the stories about Priekuļi, as a place where potato varieties are created, a sense of belonging to Priekuļi is strengthened.

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