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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog on August 19, 2026
Potatoes are something that can literally be consumed at any time of the day and during any meal making them one of the most versatile foods that people eat on a pretty regular basis. On a special day in August we have National Potato Day, so lets make this post all things potato.
According to the International Potato Center, more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes grow around the world. Not only that, but they also come in a variety of beautiful colors and sizes. This starchy carbohydrate comes with no fat or cholesterol and is loaded with Vitamin C and potassium. Depending on your dietary needs and how you prepare your potatoes, this vegetable offers what many are looking for. However, with 26 grams of carbohydrates, it’s a no-no in a low-carb lifestyle.
When it comes to the health specs of a potato, we tend to tank the benefits when we prepare them. We fry them and load them with toppings like cheese, sour cream, and butter. Who doesn’t love a loaded baked potato? Ok, ok. You can all put your hands down, now.
The potato’s origins trace back more than 7,000 years to the high-altitude fields of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia, where Indigenous farmers first domesticated wild tubers. Spanish explorers carried it to Europe in the late 1500s, from where it spread rapidly across the globe, shaping diets, economies, and even migration patterns.
Fast forward to today, and the United States has carved out August 19 as a day to honor the crop. Though the origins of the American observance are unclear, it has become a fixture on the growing calendar of quirky national days, often promoted by restaurants, food companies, and local media eager to celebrate everything from mashed potatoes to fries and chips.
Potatoes are the third most consumed food crop globally, after rice and wheat. According to FAO data, over 368 million metric tons are harvested each year across more than 100 countries. The crop’s adaptability to diverse climates and soils makes it central to food security discussions, particularly in regions now grappling with climate change and erratic weather patterns.
In the U.S., annual per capita consumption hovers around 110 pounds, with frozen products (fries, wedges, hash browns) dominating retail and foodservice markets. Yet fresh consumption and specialty potato products—such as creamer potatoes, colored flesh varieties, and organic niche offerings—are steadily gaining traction.
Beyond sheer calories, potatoes are deeply embedded in human culture. They appear in folklore, literature, and national cuisines from Eastern Europe’s dumplings to India’s aloo-based curries. Potatoes carry social memory—whether through family recipes, famine narratives, or the shared aroma of fries at a roadside stop.
Sociologists point out that foods like the potato function as connectors: humble staples that cut across class, geography, and ethnicity, weaving people together through shared experience. Perhaps that is why dedicating a day—even unofficially—feels fitting.
Potatoes have always been about resilience—thriving where other crops fail, feeding communities through crisis, and adapting to cultural shifts in how people eat. As the world looks toward more sustainable and secure food systems, the potato’s place in that story will only deepen.
In my house we love home grown potatoes which means we have to really make sure that we plan ahead starting sometimes in early March. We love to head to our local stores and get seed potatoes and separate them by how many “eyes” they have and then plant near St. Patrick’s Day depending on the weather. If it’s too wet outside we end up waiting a bit later in the season but anyway you guys get the point. After the plants come up and die its time to harvest our hard work and cook up some delicious fried potatoes. We like to turn them into breakfast hash browns, French fries and several other yummy side dishes.
For more fun food holiday articles keep your eyes peeled here at Make Food Safe.