The Great Famine that occurred in Ireland in the 1840s resulted from the dependence of Irish Farmers on a single potato variety, The Lumper. The Irish Lumper was praised for its nutrition and the ease at which the potato thrived even in nutrient poor soils. During the Lumper’s hay day, it’s been said that the average Irish Man ate 14 pounds of Lumper Potatoes per day.

If the proper crop management practices had been in place, and multiple potato varieties had been cultivated, history might have taken a different turn. Unfortunately, the Lumper reigned supreme and when a blight hit the fields, the results were disastrous. The Irish potato famine was born.  (Note: We shouldn’t be too judgmental of 1800s farmers, they didn’t know any better. Today, we do know better, but commodity crops are still mono-crops that remain extremely vulnerable to similar fates.)

Perhaps due to the suffering The Lumper was seen to have caused, it became known as a potato that (in addition to its blight), was also mealy and had an unpleasant taste. Undeterred by these rumors, Irish Farmer Michael McKillop decided to grow a few Lumpers nevertheless. He was amazed at their good taste and even set about improving the variety further. High-end supermarket Marks & Spencer put in an order and the potato has been selling well. McKillop’s yields have been strong and there has been no blight so far. The average consumer is reported to be eating considerably less than 14 pounds per person, but for a potato that spent decades in the Vegetable No Grow Zone, this represents a definite comeback nevertheless.