Ronnigers Potato farm

Territorial Seed Company

Local nurseries, Walmart, Home Depot, even grocery stores. Burpee, Henry Fields, Gurneys, Johnny's, and many other seed companies also carry them. Have used all of them as sources over the years with no problems and good crops.

Might want to re-evaluate your growing conditions rather than the source.

Dave

I use Ronnigers for my odd varieties (purple and red fleshed) and I buy the remaining (red norland and yukon gold) at our local grocery store. I order them early and buy them in bulk in 50 pound bags (but I don't have to pay for the shipping!).

Jay

Fedco is way cheaper than Ronnigers or Territorial. I did some price comparisons lately. They are a good dealer too. Lots of naturally grown choices.

Check out http://www.grandtetonorganics.com. Interesting varieties.

Our local Southern States store has seed potatoes -- not as many varieties as Fedco, but the ones they have do well locally and they are so much cheaper it's not even in the same ballpark.

2010 I got 17 1/2 lbs of seed potatoes from Fedco for about $45.00 (includes shipping)
2011 I got 45 lbs. of seed potatoes from Southern States for $17.50

All did well. It depends on whether cost, or particular varieties are more important to you.

I'd look for a local source. They're grown out in soil and climate similar to yours, so you know they should produce. I'm in Massachusetts, and I buy from Maine.

Thanks, all. It definitely sounds cheaper to get them locally. I have never tried to use grocery potatoes but perhaps I should. Most are genetically-engineered though so I guess I should go for the organic?

Dave, yes, I actually asked on this forum last year why my yields weren't that great. Even after considering all the answers I don't see what I did wrong. I'm hoping this year will be alot better.

The past several years I have ordered potatoes from a source in Maine but I am in Virginia. I don't need anything special, just want lots of healthy potatoes.

Most are genetically-engineered though so I guess I should go for the organic?

That statement really needs some clarification please. "Genetically-engineered"?

If the discussion linked below is the one you are referring to then I see several possible contributing factors mentioned - planting earlier, better hilling, more water, spacing, method of planting (ie: did you trench or surface plant?), more feeding, etc.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: reasons for low yields of potatoes

A lot of places won't ship seed potatoes until what I consider too late in the year. I like to sit mine out and pre-sprout them.

Ronnigers will ship when you specify.

Thanks for linking the discussion, Dave.

The one thing I saw missing from the list of things that can reduce potato yields was leaf hoppers.

They're so small you hardly notice them, eat tiny holes in the leaves, and totally screw your production. By the time you notice them, it's too late. I've gotten the impression (from experienced farmers) that there's nothing to bother to do -- that a leaf hopper year is just a leaf hopper year, and you eat more rice. Thankfully, conditions for leaf hoppers (hot and dry and probably some other thing that calls them) don't come that often. (knocking on wood as I type.)

Always used to get them from Milk Ranch Specialty Potatoes LLC and was very satisfied with them. Milk Ranch has now merged with Ronninger, I think, and is now Potato Garden, never ordered from them yet.

genetically-engineered: I haven't checked it out but have been told that potatoes are one of the crops where most conventional sources are genetically-engineered (i.e. have been modified to include some non-potato genetic material). If you know more about it I'd be glad to hear more--one source I've used is Center for Food Safety . .

No, just as with the recent lengthy discussion here on GMO seeds there is a massive amount of mis-understanding and mis-information out there.

There are no genetically modified seed potatoes available to home gardeners. In fact there are currently no GMO potato research field trials in the US (they ceased in 2010) and only limited trials in Europe. All commercial cultivation of GMO potatoes (the 4 varieties approved for feed cultivation) other than in the limited field trials ceased in 2001 according to GMO Database.

There are many hybrid varieties of potatoes but hybrids are not GMOs. More importantly the terms "hybrid" and "organic" are not mutually exclusive terms.

One can grow certified organic seed potatoes which may or may not be hybrids. Or one can grow any seed potatoes, hybrids or not, that are available to the home gardener and grow them organically or not.

Keep in mind that while some of the info available from CFS is interesting and of value they also have a very specific personal agenda so much of what they claim needs to be double checked or taken with a grain of salt.

Hope this helps clarify the correct use of the terms.

Dave