CONSERVATION
Conservation You Can Taste - The Southwest Center - University of ...
Conservation You Can Taste - The Southwest Center - University of ...
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issues with several common diseases that needed<br />
to be eliminated in order for certified virus free<br />
seed to be available for commercial certified seed<br />
production of the Makah Ozette potato. Through the<br />
ELISA method of screening the presence of the virus<br />
on potatoes in her lab Bedlington can eliminate the<br />
potatoes showing<br />
signs of infection<br />
and increase the<br />
“clean” samples<br />
for distribution. The<br />
“cleaning” process<br />
from lab to field<br />
takes a minimum of<br />
three years. When<br />
asked about her<br />
initial participation<br />
in the project,<br />
Marlys recalls that<br />
“because there was<br />
so much attention to<br />
the Makah Ozette<br />
potato, I took an<br />
interest in playing with it, and this has created a<br />
completely different market for the company”.<br />
The Presidium continues to use the services<br />
of Pure Potato, which is now entering the third<br />
generation phase of procuring certifiable virus- free<br />
seed. In Spring of 2014 certified Makah Ozette potato<br />
seed will once again be available for distribution<br />
with the hope that the Makah Ozette potato will<br />
“Does agribusiness give you<br />
heartburn? Heritage foods offer<br />
a digestible alternative.”<br />
John Forti, Curator of Historic<br />
Landscape, Strawberry Banke<br />
Museum, Portsmouth NH<br />
continue to gain more ground. Gerry reports that<br />
Slow Food Seattle is also “working closely with<br />
elementary schools in the greater Seattle area to<br />
develop school garden programs to engage children<br />
who are very interested in the story...”<br />
Today, in addition to Pure Potato, Makah<br />
Ozette seed can<br />
be purchased from<br />
Potato Garden,<br />
offering Makah<br />
Ozette potatoes<br />
to gardeners and<br />
farmers nationwide,<br />
and at least 77<br />
growers have posted<br />
on localharvest.<br />
org that they have<br />
the Ozette potato<br />
for sale. The Makah<br />
Ozette effort has also<br />
inspired the Tlingit<br />
near Sitka to share<br />
their unique potato<br />
with other Alaska natives and to ensure a back<br />
of supply of their traditional tuber crop, and the<br />
Bodega Red potato is being recovered by Slow Food<br />
chapters and growers such as Tierra Vegetables.<br />
Once the certified seed of these unique spuds<br />
is available on a regular basis they will surely<br />
become culinary treasures of the Pacific<br />
Northwest once again.<br />
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