Striking Yukon Gold in Plymouth, NC
Their dirty hands inspect these golden potato gems dug out of the ground as
the machine moves them by, separating each one by its size.
Grading happens quick. And it better. There crates upon crates to be looked
over. And, as the cliche goes, there are only some many hours in the day.
That’s the job of a potato researcher at the Vernon G. James Research and
Extension Center in Plymouth, NC.
You hear about cut, clarity and color when it comes to diamonds. But when it
comes to potatoes, the group from North Carolina State University is judging
each batch on weight, quality and size. They’re looking for the next great variety
of potato. And they just might have found it, buried in a field in Plymouth, NC.
