We plan to make seed of all of our varieties readily available in UK and in Ireland and later within Europe. We need funding immediately to pay for the substantial start-up costs. Some of you know that we crowdfunded a project within the Trust and have recruited a crowd of enthusiastic supporters to help us breed new Sarpo varieties. So we are now making a similar appeal to pay for the substantial start-up costs of Sarpo Potatoes Ltd.
The project page on the crowdfunding hosted by Buzzbnk explains how this works. We want to form a large crowd of supporters who either donate a small amount or loan us larger amounts on which we pay interest. We have rewards for backers and these include tickets for a draw to win a week-long, all paid trip for two that will include visiting our research group at Henfaes Research Centre of Bangor University in NW Wales. We will also have a Potato Day at Henfaes to meet the crowd and to explain our work in breeding for resistance in both potato and tomato.
Press Release
Potato trust announces crowdfunding appeal
for launch of new company
By David Shaw
13th November 2013
Snowdonia, Wales, UK -
Ethical potato breeder, Sarvari Research Trust announced today the launch
of its subsidiary, Sarpo Potatoes Ltd., and a crowdfunding Buzzbnk appeal to
raise start-up capital. The Trust has been breeding acclaimed blight and disease
resistant potatoes for over ten years and has 6 varieties that will be marketed
through the new trading company.
The Sarvari Trust will use the profits to continue breeding work, meet the demand for these “wonder potatoes” and to campaign for sustainable potato production around the world. To allow Sarpo Potatoes to get to gardeners, growers and farmers, the seed potatoes need to be multiplied and sold via garden retail, on line, to allotment societies, green veg. box schemes and to larger producers.
About Sarpo Potatoes
The Sarpo family of
potatoes has great benefits that really do make them “wonder potatoes”.
They have powerful long term resistance to blight, so no more devastating
harvest failures. They have in-built virus resistance which means they
remain productive without the need for spraying. Growing and storing is
easy too as the vigorous growth smothers weeds, whilst their resistance to
sprouting means they do not need refrigerated storage and they do not start
growing in your kitchen veg. basket. This makes them ideal for all potato
producers, from grow-it-yourselfers and organic producers to growers that do not
wish to, or cannot afford to, spray their crops weekly through the whole
growing season.
Even better, they taste wonderful, with
varieties that suit all cooking uses. Cooks and restaurant chefs love these
well flavoured spuds.
About the crowdfunding appeal To launch the trading
company, Sarpo have started a Buzzbnk appeal for £250,000 to get production and
sales off the ground and to meet demand in the UK, Ireland and across the globe
wherever potatoes are grown. Backers are being asked to donate or loan
small or larger sums in return for rewards such as free potatoes, Open Days, a
£5000 prize holiday draw from anywhere in the globe and of course interest on
loans. Backers can support us for as little as £5 at this site
Dr David Shaw, Director of the Trust said:
“We really want to raise the start-up funds and build a great crowd around this ethical company. That way, we can move potato
production away from its highly intensive,
current form to a more sustainable one. Our potatoes are so easy to grow,
crop very well without spraying and once harvested, remain fresh and usable
for months”.
Contact
David Shaw, Trust Director
Sarvari Research Trust
Siambra Gwynion
Llandegai.
Bangor LL57 4BG
United Kingdom
Tel: 001248 364260
Fax: 01248 602141
shaw@sarvari-trust.org
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