Beyond Luther Burbank

[Tom Wagner]

That's a working title for a book about potatoes. After several hints from book authors and my family, I may just start the baby steps towards putting some outlines down, writing a few essays, how to features, using fascicles of potato drivel and power point illustrations.

Dr. Carol Deppe and I are going to put out a very small demonstration plot of my potatoes in Oregon. Pretty much confirmed that today. She is convinced that some potatoes on organic ground with absolutely no irrigation, relying simply on rainfall, generate the best flavors. This would be a test to verify our suspicions and experience. Anything positive would substantiate credibility.

I am too much a fan of Burbank, not to demonstrate my life long ambition to do anything similar to what he has done. I know of Burbank from legend and by reading his volumes. To emulate Burbank is to go beyond Burbank, thus my title.

How many people on this forum have growers producing a million pounds or more of his/her varieties? How many gardeners on this forum have a variety that they can't have, that they produced from their own breeding efforts?

There is an article being published about me being one of the rarest of private breeders of potatoes. The issues brought up in this article will spearhead many of my concerns regarding diversity and experience.

Dr. Deppe wants me to demonstrate a variety or two that can be maintained every year by TPS (true potato seed) and that will be easy.

More later

Tom Wagner

[carolyn137]

Good luck with the potato book Tom.

Been there, done that writing a book and it isn't easy, so persevere, and it really depends a lot on what publisher you go with and who your editor is.

And make sure to read the contract carefully and have a lawyer look at it before you sign the contract.

[Tom Wagner]

Thanks Carolyn,

I have two or more authors that I talk to on the phone from time to time. I will ask them about what you said about the fine print, and i had both of them on the line yet today.

And I know you are right about book writing, but my kids will never forgive me if I don't.

I will go on Google now and check out my preferred publisher at this point. I'd better not say which one.

Tom Wagner

[dokutaaguriin]

I would love to your read your potato book and perhaps another one along the lines of "Beyond Green Zebra"
Jeff

[cdntomato]

Anxiously awaiting....

Jennifer

[Rastagecko]

Tom,
Good luck with the book. I look forward to reading it someday. I have always enjoyed reading your posts over the years here and on GW. Your book will have a place right next to Carol Deppe's book on breeding vegetables and Carolyn's tomato book.
James

[Tania]

Tom,

Good luck with your book - I will be looking forward to seeing it published.
Very exciting news!

Cheers,

[grungy]

Let's know when it comes off the presses. Best of luck and break a leg (figuratively).
Cheers,
Val aka grungy

[Tom Wagner]

Beyond Luther Burbank is just a working title, in fact in might just be a chapter heading. It was fifty years ago (19588), when I read all of Burbank's volumes of notes.

I am going to be with a grower Friday going over potato research plots, varieties, and location. I am also going to meet with at least two authors to format this research with a heavy dose of peer review to set the tone of the potato writing.

The potato plot research will be centered around organic production, building a collection of highly flavored potatoes, reliance on natural rainfall rather than irrigation, and the sustainability of potato varieties from TPS. The projection of this research into a first draft of a chapter will hint of results culminating late this summer.

As this work commences, a limited number of chapters will be written covering a bit of history of the potato as it leads into my work with potatoes, current varietal development with pictures, and ongoing research for the year 2008. An editor has already agreed to look at my proposal.

For what is worth to potential authors on Tomatoville; most book projects start with a query such as an email with a page or two describing what you have in mind for a book. Since I already have an editor interested, I am sidestepping that level by submitting a proposal. The book proposal will tell the editor a bit about the book, what the audience might be, offering an outline and a couple of sample chapters. I have to 'sell' the book based upon the proposal. The editor in this case is feeling that the time is ready for a potato book (not a tomato book). I must have brand new material that will appeal to the general interest of gardeners and farmers. It can't just be about breeding potatoes; that would be too narrow for the publisher. I will have to cover in a potato book things that cover growing and storing for ordinary gardeners and not just for the mega growers. The trick is to interest people who have never grown a potato on up to those who are very experienced. i can talk about breeding potatoes in a chapter but I have to be careful about spending too much time talking about varieties that are not available. If I do that I will have to have a projected time of release about three years out after the book is actually published. I know all too well how people can get literally angry if told about something that they can't have.

I have an advantage in the book deal. Normally folks have to send the query to a slush-pile editor. It may be looked at but not by an agriculture editor. It would be screened by a general editor and sent on to the ag editor if it is promising. It takes months since that 'pile' is bottom priority. That is why many would-be authors never make it past the slush-pile. I am lucky in that I have a personal reference from a published author or two. If my editor likes my proposal he/she will take it to the entire editor staff and they discuss it. The book is not a done deal yet!

My work with tomatoes and my release of a number of 'Heirloom' type tomatoes such as Green Zebra gives me a running start to talk about potatoes. If folks know about the tomato part of my handle Tater Mater, this book will perhaps interest those who know nothing about my potatoes. I have potato varieties that are in the 'Heirloom' potato collections, and hardly anyone knows which ones those are. The book will solve that mystery.

As any book that talks about varieties, one must link to where the potatoes can be found, either as produce in the food markets or as seed potato sources. Two of my varieties are produced in the million pound volumes, but they are not brand named. My book will name those varieties and maybe it will bring attention to the fact that those two varieties are lumped into the red potato/yellow potato classes and cannot be identified by the consumer. You may have eaten one of my varieties and thought it was a Yukon Gold type or a Red LaSoda type. The potatoes are shipped nation wide by a grower in California.

My book will ask the question about brand naming potatoes like apples currently are. My proposal will be to feature Farmers' Market growers who list the names of potatoes as they sell them local, whether the varieties are heirloom, public, or new varieties from my collections.

Right now I am collecting input from published authors on what should, or should not, be included in a book about potatoes. If you have a suggestion about what you would like in a potato book, tell me. It might be history, recipes, varieties, TPS, organic growing, diseases, nutrition, and a myriad of other topics.

Tom Wagner

[kktwahoo]

Good luck, Tom! And, God Bless us attorneys!

ROTFLMAO!