- How Do You Make a Potato Gun?
- By Greg Brown
Associate Editor
- “How do you make a potato gun?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Do you know why a potato can power a small light?”
“Not off the top of my head - I don’t remember.”
“What can you tell me about Mr. Potato Head?”
“I think Mr. Potato Head originated in the 1950s. In his first carnation he was actually just a set of features ready to be stuck in an actual potato. Later, he was …”
These questions are from freshman college students.
This past September, I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker on potatoes and general farming in a freshman geology class. The class focuses on the role of geology in student’s lives, and the instructor had asked me to talk about potatoes and food production.
Finding general information for my presentation on the Web was easy. By visiting the U.S. Potato Board’s consumer site: www.potatohelp.com, I found information on potato preparation and quick meal ideas that the class would enjoy. Data on snack consumption, production, and the history of the potato were also readily available.
The sites of several universities and international organizations, as well as USDA’s Agriculture Research Service helped present a general picture of the world of potatoes.
The students did not know what to expect from an agriculture editor. I began by asking them about their favorite potato dishes. Before the first five were written on the board, the class had collectively mentioned nearly 20 dishes.
During the presentation, I was sure to talk about conservation methods growers use, the inputs involved in producing a potato, and the consumption of potatoes in general. At times, I encountered blank looks and at other times nods of recognition.
The nods came with mention of food. College students know chips and fries.
At the end of class I asked how many in the class had ever had the opportunity to work on any type of farm. One person out of nearly 100 raised his hand. My next question - “How many were raised on or near a farm?” - brought up another hand.
Working in and around agriculture for most of my life, I sometimes forget how little the rest of the world knows about food production. Consumers don’t think about food production methods, equipment or the impact of regulations.
For them, talk of food revolves around restaurants, grocery stores and recipes.
It must mean that the potato grower and the ag community, in general, does an unsurpassed job behind the scenes.
But, I may still have to do further research into this potato gun and potatoes as a source of renewable energy.
