Food Country
Food Country is a weekly web series featuring Chef Michael Smith and the flavours, people and stories of Prince Edward Island.
One week Food Country follows Michael as he explores the island, searching for fresh ingredients. The next week Food Country visits Michael’s home kitchen as he cooks and creates simple healthy food.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Episode 3 > Family Farm
Throughout North America agriculture has changed dramatically in the last 50 years as farming has become more corporate. One of the casualties has been the classic family farm but on Prince Edward Island that tradition remains. We have over 300 potato farms each averaging 250 acres or so Times have changed but our devotion to farming has not.
Prince Edward Island is heaven if you’re a potato farmer. Our beautiful farmland enjoys warm summers with lots of rain and cold winters. Our rich red, sandy soil is loaded with vital nutrients. As an island we’re isolated from main land diseases while we all get to enjoy the fresh sea air. We’re the million-acre farm and it shows in the quality of our spuds.
In North Lake Robert and Elora Rose and their sons Boyd and Miles are potato farmers. Their farm has been in the family for six generations and the seventh is already working the land. “Growing up on the farm” is woven into everything they do.
Robert remembers his mom pitch-forking hay by hand while as a boy he helped raise cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and a variety of crops on the rich red soil. Today the farm is devoted to potatoes but his sons have inherited his devotion to the land. As Robert says “it’s a good life and I thank god for it.”
Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Goldrush, Shepody, Kennebec, Superior, Norvalley, Norland, Yukon Gold and Chieftan are just a few of the varities grown on the Island. Many of these varieties are found on the Rose farm. While many growers focus on large uniform potatoes for the French fry processing market they choose to focus on the fresh market. Whether you bake, boil, fry, steam or mash the Roses grow their best for you!
About Chef Michael
I’m a FoodTV host, cookbook author and official food ambassador for Prince Edward Island, more importantly I’m a Dad and passionate home cook! View all posts by Chef Michael →Comments
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It’s not my first time to pay a quick visit this web page, i am browsing this web site dailly and obtain good facts from here everyday.
Michael or anyone. Could you put your shopping list on your site to download? It would be a great tool for me as I am redoing my kitchen and cooking habits.
LOVE you and your show. Even my husband does and that speaks volumes.
Thanks a bunch.
Myles Rose is a good friend of ours and we visited this farm several years ago. He and Carol are fine people, hard workers and this video is lovely to watch. Michael, you have outdone yourself.
Awesome little shows!
Rhonda, I asked the same question as well about the shopping list, I made my own in the end and works great. There are several online, just google shopping list. But, they always have stuff on those lists that you don’t need (ie dog food, cat litter, etc) or they leave stuff off you need (ie: baby supplies). And, if you make your own, do as Michael said in his show, take extra, I didn’t think it would happen, but I have now been asked for a copy of mine a couple of times now. Funny!
Some day I will have to visit PEI, it is such beautiful country!
Hi I watch your show everyday and the other day you made a mushroom soup. But I cann;t seem to find it and I really love mushrooms and I would reaslly like to try please send me the e-mail recipe Breig
Hi Michael how are you, it’s me again, you know the guy who came onto your lawn 2 summers ago when you were making a fire outside and just this summer at the fish market across from basin head, it was closed when you arrived. I have a large black Audi A6 and my girlfriend was with me, do you remember me now? Anyway I was on the island for a month this past December, I stayed at the seal river beach house, owned by Martinus Rose, I’m sure you have heard of him if you don’t know him already, maybe you bought wood from him when you had your house built. I was thinking of buying a Toyota Fj for when I visit the island. Do you like yours? I also like the jeep wrangler because you can take the top and doors off, what do you think? my Audi is great and the traction is second to none, but being a sport model I lack the proper height to go on off roads on the island like down on Poverty beach where my Audi got hung up.
Anyway like your new videos.
Your kitchen is really nice and has a restaurant feel and look but has the home edge to it……nice.
Keep in touch. Dustin from Montreal, I’m always looking to buy something on the island but have not found anything yet, Martinus did not want to sell his house, if you know of property that is water front please keep me in mind, my budget is 300k. Thanks again.
Great episode. I love PEI…just gorgeous. Even the dirt is pretty. No wonder great potatoes are born there!
Great episode. I am originally from the Island. My Mom used to laugh and say that PEI stood for ‘Potatoes Every Inch’. They really are the best. Match them up with some fresh cod, some Island carrots and you have a great meal. Plan on visiting home again this summer.
PEI potatoes truly are the best ones I ever had!
I was in PEI last summer and made sure to eat as much potatoes as I could! ;)
Great show Chef Michael!