When the expression "potato – our second bread" became an idiom in a language of people who had valued rye bread for a thousand years – it must have seemed that the potato was very important to us, having been grown here for ages.
Loading potato sacks onto ships at the Tallinn harbor, 1938–1939 (EPM FP 607:201)
Potatoes arrived in Estonia from Western Europe around the mid-18th century through the mediation of Baltic German landlords. By the end of the century, they were grown to some extent on almost every manor estate. At that time, the Estonian peasantry was scarcely familiar with the kartoffel. Until the early 19th century, it was a rather unpopular vegetable for peasants, a garden plant that only a few tried to cultivate in the fields. However, the state was very interested in promoting potato cultivation, as this new crop was meant to mitigate the devastating impact of frequent famines caused by crop failures. In the 1840s, to encourage the peasantry to plant potatoes in the fields, imperial decrees were issued, and diligent potato growers were rewarded. Farmers who grew potatoes on a larger scale during that time were regarded as the most enterprising of their era. Most of the peasant farmers however, remained sceptical about the innovation.
It is likely that the potatoes of that time were more bitter in taste, which also contributed to the distrust of this new garden vegetable. However, once the potato became a staple in the Estonian diet, it pushed turnips, rutabagas, and legumes from the menu.
Harvesting Potatoes, 1940–1950 (EPM FP 142:39)
Over time, the area of potato fields expanded in farms as well. It was grown mostly for personal use, but part of the harvest could also be sold to the manor's distillery. Potatoes grown in Northern Estonia soon made their way to the market in St. Petersburg, they were also exported to Finland and Sweden. Potato farming increased farm incomes in Northern Estonia, while in Southern Estonia, flax farming brought profits. The economic advancement allowed peasant farmers to start purchasing farms outright.
Sorting potatoes in the spring, 1953 (EPM FP 142:2)
By the beginning of the 20th century, potatoes had become one of the main crops in Estonia. They were grown on about 25% of arable land (around 80 000 hectares), and were a significant export commodity until the First World War. After the war, now in the Republic of Estonia, the country achieved the highest per capita potato production in the world. In the 1920s, table potatoes were still being exported to Finland and Sweden, but in the 1930s, the focus shifted to selling seed potatoes to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, England, Argentina, and elsewhere.
After World War II, food shortages plagued all of Europe. People were even advised to prepare food from potato peels. In Estonia, isolated behind the Iron Curtain, home-grown vegetables, predominantly potatoes, kept people alive. During the Soviet era, potato farming was essential for everyday survival – even city dwellers would secure their winter supplies by visiting relatives in the countryside and participating in harvest work. Despite the propaganda, the diet of the population was very monotonous and poor. Yet every era has its "unforgettable flavours" – memories often highlight the "Soviet-era fried potatoes"! Intellectuals recall this student food, which sustained them while obtaining higher education both in Estonia and elsewhere in the Soviet Union.
Potato harvesting in a collective farm, 1956 (EPM FP 142:64)
The peak of potato farming was during the 1960s and 1970s. Estonia was known as the "Potato Republic": in 1964, Estonia produced 1148 kg of potatoes per capita, placing it second in the world after Poland. Most of these potatoes were exported to other regions of the Soviet Union. Every autumn, thousands of schoolchildren and students harvested tubers in the fields of collective and state farms. Classes were suspended during this time, this was called "work education", a term typical of that era. On collective farm fields, high-yield potato varieties were grown, though they were not particularly tasty, often referred to as "pig potatoes". In home gardens, potatoes grown for personal use were often varieties dating back to the era of the Republic of Estonia. A favourite was the locally bred "Jõgeva Yellow", but gourmets prized the very old, unknown-origin variety called "Väike verev" (Small russet).
Harvesting potatoes in a home garden/private field, 1971 (EPM FP 333:12)
In the early 1990s, at the dawn of re-independence, a dramatic promise spread like wildfire among Estonians: "We’ll eat potato peels if we have to, as long as we can be free!" The Soviet Union collapsed, the Republic of Estonia was restored, and in time, we also achieved the much-desired abundance of food. Each year, we grow fewer potatoes, but potato peels remain on menus – in restaurants, and not as the cheapest dish.
For the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia in 2018, scientists wanted to breed a blue, black, and white potato variety (The national flag of Estonian is a tricolour featuring three bands of blue, black and white). However, nature preferred to stick to a more conservative colour palette. Nonetheless, the boldness of the experiment pointed to the long and scientifically successful tradition of potato breeding in Estonia.
Students from Räpina Technical school harvesting potatoes, 1978 (EPM FP 83:17)
Text by: Monika Levkin, Researcher in Estonian Agricultural Museum
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