Low-carb potatoes may mean comeback for the spud industry

• New low-carb potatoes hit the shelves recently in grocery stores throughout the country.
• SunLite potatoes, run by a six-member co-operative largely from northern Florida, have 30 percent less carbohydrates and 25 percent less calories than Russet potatoes of equal serving size.
• While it may be a little late to cater to a fading fad that started years ago, some say the new variety of spud could revolutionize the potato farming industry.
• For now, co-op members hope the new product restores faith in the suppertime staple that some see as the enemy.
• The new thin-skinned potato, which the co-op owns national rights to, appears smaller than the Russet, closer to the size of a Yukon Gold with a diameter of about 2 to 3 1/2 inches.
• "They are an exceptionally pretty potato," co-op president Wayne Smith said proudly this week at his Hastings farm.
• The creamy crossbred creation, now courted by stores as far away as Washington and California, costs $3.99 for a 3-pound bag locally.
• At Publix, a chain of grocery stores spanning five southeastern states, the low-carb potatoes debuted more than two weeks ago.
• The SunLites sitting on the shelves now were planted in the fall, and could have been under the ground just two weeks ago, said Tom Donovan, St. Johns County Agricultural Agent.
• While some shoppers say the Atkins craze is on its way out, these farmers aren't convinced SunLite's success will depend on the life span of the fad.
• Other qualities like its buttery taste and fewer calories should separate it from other potatoes, Smith said.
• Smith recalls testing the spud about five years ago, but said he wasn't interested because he was already growing another potato for chips.