Press Room

Senator Schwartz Loves Her Colorado Grown Potatoes

Tuesday, June 29 2010

Colorado Potato Seed Act Act to protect our industry goes into effect July 1

10 reasons to love the Colorado potato (From Coloradopotato.org)

1. Colorado potatoes (with the skin) are a good source of potassium. Research shows that potassium may help lower high blood pressure, contributing to a heart-healthy diet.

2. This one’s simple: one medium-sized Colorado potato (5.3 oz.) has 110 calories and is fat- and cholesterol- free.

3. Did you grow up listening to your mother tell you to eat your vegetables? Well, Colorado potatoes are vegetables, so eat away!

 4. It’s cold season and what you eat can help you fight off the Spring bug – a medium-sized Colorado spud has nearly half the recommended daily value of vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin B6.

5. Colorado potatoes are also a source of dietary fiber, a complex carbohydrate, which is known to increase satiety and help with weight loss.

 6. Russets, reds, fingerlings, blues, purples, yellows and whites – with six common fresh Colorado potato varieties, there’s always a new color or texture to experiment with.

7. No time to boil or bake? That’s a good thing! The quickest methods for cooking Colorado potatoes, microwaving and steaming, are also the healthiest because they allow the potato to retain the most nutritional value.

 8. Colorado potato casserole, potato salad, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, roasted potatoes – what do these dishes have in common? They can all be made in less than 20 minutes and without turning on the oven or boiling water!

9. Colorado potatoes with skin rank highest for potassium content among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables and the top 20 most frequently consumed raw fruits. That means they have more potassium than a banana, more than broccoli, more than an orange, more than spinach…you get the idea!

10. For a Colorado potato dish that’s packed with potassium, try the Quick & Healthy Microwave Mashed Potatoes recipe (enclosed), or visit www.potatogoodness.com for more healthy potato recipes.

 

loves Colorado potatoes too (and not just because she's Irish), and understands how important potatoes, potato farmers and all agriculture producers are for Colorado’s economy. In the global economy, Colorado argiculture needs to compete not only with businesses in other states, but also with businesses in other countries. Senator Schwartz’s Colorado Potato Seed Act (SB 10-072) will increase the competitiveness of Colorado potato growers and will help prevent outbreaks of diseases that affect production.  SB 72 goes into effect Thursday, July 1, 2010. 

Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass)

 

“This law isn’t just about seed potatoes,” said Sen. Schwartz.  “It’s about working with and representing Colorado’s farmers and supporting Colorado’s agricultural industry.” 

Advantages to enacting the Colorado Seed Potato Act:

• The Seed Act would aid in reducing potato mosaic disease levels such as PVY in the overall crop and in managing other disease issues.
• The Seed Act would eliminate the illegal sale or transfer of non-certified seed and Plant Variety Protected seed without adversely affecting commercial growers.
• The Seed Act would help Colorado maintain the Late Blight Quarantine currently in place to test and prevent late blight infected seed from entering Colorado.
• The Seed Act would promote better verification for trace-forward and trace-back of potatoes when Food Quality Protection issues arise.
• The Seed Act would continue to afford Colorado increasing export market opportunities. Mexico has become a significant export market for Colorado potatoes. Mexico requires the potatoes it imports to be grown from certified or qualified seed stocks.

Sen. Schwartz continued: “I would like to acknowledge the Colorado Potato Growers for crafting this legislation so that we can keep our state’s potato industry competitive. I was pleased to carry this bill on behalf of the hard-working farmers in the San Luis Valley.”

Sponsored by Sen. Schwartz and Representative Ed Vigil (D-Alamosa), the law will require all potato farmers who grow one acre or more of potatoes to use potato seed certified by Colorado State University.