Hot potatoes for sale

It's that time of year when teachers encourage students to raise money for their class.

Kids usually go door-to-door selling wrapping paper, cookies or popcorn. But Ecole Franco-Nord teacher, Anthony Bulteau had a different idea.

50 Grade 4 to 7 students from Prince George's only francophone school grew organic potatoes - more than 4,000 lbs of them.

"Robert and Priska Bucher, owners of P&R Organics use part of their farm for kids to plant organic vegetables like potatoes and carrots. The kids then sell the vegetables and the Bucher's don't ask for anything in return for their hard work," said Bulteau.

The kids sold more than 200 bags of potatoes to neighbours and friends with all the proceeds going to a future fieldtrip.

"Parents bought potatoes and we got the PAC committee involved. Actually they stood outside Scotiabank selling them and to neighbours... [the potatoes] were quite good, I have to say. I bought some myself," said Bucher.

The local farmers began offering some of their land and crop to school because they wanted to remind the community, despite the cold weather a lot of vegetables can be grown in the region.

"We started to get the local message out about local easting and what can be grown here. We grow 70 different types of vegetables every year," said Bucher.

The avid farmers think it's important that kids get the opportunity to learn where food comes from and Bultreau agrees.

"The kids loved learning about how the potatoes grow. It's part of the curriculum. So they get a chance to learn how everything works," said Bultreau.

This was the first year Ecole Franco-Nord harvested potatoes and if Bultreau has his way, it won't be the last.

"We will definitely do it again. Maybe with different ages but we want to continue with this kind of project," said Bultreau.

For more information on P&R Farms, visit www.pnrorganics.com.

For more information on Ecole Franco-Nord visit www.franconord.csf.bc.ca.