Potatoes are in season in Florida from February to June.¹ This “humble” vegetable is known for its culinary versatility, but did you know that it’s also full of nutrients? Shop sustainably by looking for Florida-grown potatoes at grocery stores and farmers markets.

Potato Facts

• Potatoes were first cultivated 7,000 to 10,000 years ago in what is now modern day Peru and Bolivia and were brought back to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors.²
• While most regions of the country produce potatoes in the fall,² Florida potatoes arrive in the winter and spring. This means that one-third of U.S. potatoes produced during those times comes from Florida.²
• Most Florida potatoes are grown in St. Johns, Putnam, and Flagler counties, a region known as the Hastings area.³
• Potatoes are high in vitamin C and are a good source of potassium, iron, and zinc. However, remember to eat the skin—that’s where most of the nutrients are!⁴

1. “Crops in Season,” Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, n.d., http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Marketing-and-Development/Consumer-Resources/Buy-Fresh-From-Florida/Crops-in-Season
2. Hodan Farah Wells, “Potatoes,” USDA Economic Research Service, 2014, http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/vegetables-pulses/potatoes.aspx
3. Mark A. Mossler and Chad Hutchinson, Florida Crop/Pest Management Profile: Potatoes, CIR1237, Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 2014, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi030
4. “Potato,” Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, n.d., http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Food-Nutrition-and-Wellness/Living-Healthy-in-Florida/Healthy-Learning/All-About-Florida-Products/Potato

Photo credits: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS

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