This was just too good to pass up…  Did you know that the United Nations crowned 2008 the International Year of the Potato?  Here are a couple of interesting quotes taken from the official website of the Year of the Potato:

“In terms of sheer quantity harvested, the humble potato tuber is the world's No. 4 food crop, with production in 2006 of almost 315 million tonnes (about 347 million US tons).”

“The celebration of the International Year of the Potato (IYP) will raise awareness of the importance of the potato - and of agriculture in general - in addressing issues of global concern, including hunger, poverty and threats to the environment.”

First, it saved Ireland, and now the potato helps feed the hungry all over the world.  (Though—I found out—it is actually native to Peru…I never would have guessed!)

So stock up on spuds and celebrate the Year of the Potato!