# The Innovator potato through the eyes of a fries plant buyer

The Innovator potato through the eyes of a fries plant buyer: yield per tonne, colour after frying and storage. We grow it in Żuławy and sort it optically.

The Innovator potato is the variety we grow for fries alongside Donata, and the same one Farm Frites works with in Lębork. We look at it through the eyes of a processing plant buyer: how many fries come out of a tonne of raw material, and whether the colour after frying will be predictable. Below we show what we do about these things on our farm, from the field to loading.

## Yield per tonne starts with tuber shape

You will find a full description of the variety and the reasons we chose it in our post on [which potatoes for fries](/blog/jakie-ziemniaki-na-frytki) we grow.

In the field we work with Trimble GPS and RTK correction. We lift with a self-propelled AVR Puma 3 harvester: four rows at once, an 8-tonne tank and unloading on the go onto a trailer driving alongside.

Then the crop goes through the DOWNS CropVision optical sorter. Cameras and AI scan every piece through 360 degrees and reject stones, soil clods and defective tubers, at up to 100 tonnes per hour. What goes to the plant is potatoes, not soil from the field.

{% captionedImage src="/images/offer/ziemniaki.webp" alt="Green rows of potatoes on ridges, with furrows of dark soil between them" caption="Potatoes on our field at the height of the growing season." /%}

## Colour after frying: sugars in the tuber

The colour of a fry is not just about looks. According to the [National Centre for Nutrition Education](https://ncez.pzh.gov.pl/abc-zywienia/czy-mozna-obnizyc-zawartosc-akryloamidu-w-zywnosci-produkty-ziemniaczane/), the more a product is fried, the darker its colour and, as a result, the higher its acrylamide content. Among the ways to limit acrylamide in potato products, the [National Centre for Nutrition Education](https://ncez.pzh.gov.pl/abc-zywienia/czy-mozna-obnizyc-zawartosc-akryloamidu-w-zywnosci-produkty-ziemniaczane/) lists raw material properly stored in well-ventilated rooms at a controlled temperature above 6°C.

Researchers from the [Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences](https://www.ptfarm.pl/pub/File/Bromatologia/2012/3/320-325.pdf) write that processing potato varieties with a low reducing sugar content results in a lower amount of acrylamide in the finished product. For their fries experiment they used Innovator, and in [the same 2012 study](https://www.ptfarm.pl/pub/File/Bromatologia/2012/3/320-325.pdf) they described their sample as potatoes with a favourably low level of reducing sugars.

The variety is a starting point, not a guarantee. We select every batch for firmness, colour and dry matter content, because these three things show up later on the line. We cover the numbers, and where the sugars in the tuber come from, separately in our post [Innovator: dry matter and sugars](/blog/innovator-sucha-masa-cukry).

We describe storage conditions for fries potatoes, stage by stage, in our post on [storing potatoes for fries](/blog/przechowywanie-ziemniakow-na-frytki).

## The key issues in one table

| Issue | What it depends on | What we do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yield per tonne of raw material | tuber shape and uniformity, bruising, foreign matter | harvesting with the AVR Puma 3, sorting on the DOWNS CropVision |
| Colour after frying | reducing sugars in the tuber, storage conditions | selecting every batch for firmness, colour and dry matter |
| Documentation | certificates and batch testing | GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, FSA Gold, GMP+, Integrated Plant Production, residue testing |
| Delivery | route to the plant and form of the goods | Wocławy in Żuławy, loose, big bag, 15 kg and 10 kg sacks |

## A short route across Pomerania

We farm in Wocławy in Żuławy, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Farm Frites has a plant in Lębork, also in Pomerania, and works with the same variety as we do. So a potato from our field travels to the plant within a single voivodeship.

Behind that route stands scale. We farm more than 800 hectares, including around 400 hectares of vegetables, and we work with 87 machines. Our vegetables go to Onix, Farm Frites and FreshPol, partners who supply the largest retail chains and processing plants in Poland and Europe. We describe how we work with wholesale buyers in our guide [wholesale onions: a supplier from Żuławy](/blog/cebula-hurt-dostawca).

We hold GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, FSA Gold (Farm Sustainability Assessment) and GMP+ certificates. We produce using a technology free of pesticide residues, in line with the principles of Integrated Plant Production, and we test every batch for residues of pesticides, heavy metals and substances harmful to health.

## Contract, sample and price

What a contract for industrial potatoes looks like, what gets agreed in it and how deliveries are spread out, we write in our post on [contracting potatoes for processing](/blog/kontraktacja-ziemniakow-pod-przetworstwo). On request we send a free sample.

We have gathered varieties and delivery forms in our [potato offer](/oferta/ziemniaki). The price is calculated based on current market prices, so we give it after a conversation about quantity, timing and the form of the goods. Write to us via the [contact form](/kontakt).

## Frequently asked questions

### Apart from Innovator, do you have other fries varieties?

Yes, for fries we also grow Donata. For the fresh market we have table varieties: Twister, Bella Rosa, Joline and Gala.

### What do you use to lift and sort potatoes?

We lift with a self-propelled AVR Puma 3 harvester, which takes four rows at once and unloads on the go. We sort on the DOWNS CropVision optical sorter, which scans every piece through 360 degrees and rejects stones, soil clods and defective tubers.

### How much does Innovator from your farm cost?

The price is calculated based on current market prices and depends on quantity, timing and form of delivery. Write via the [contact form](/kontakt) and we will give it to you after a conversation.

### Can I get a sample before ordering?

Yes, on request we send a free sample.