Project carried out at Tolmie, Victoria. 

Artist: Heather Matthew

Fund: Regional Arts Victoria.

Hundred of potatoes were first carved then placed in Tolmie soil furrows laid on the Tolmie Tennis Court. Individual tags which reflected thoughts on potatoes were then placed next to their potato creations.

The project was made possible by the Australian Governments regional arts program, the Regional Arts Fund, which is administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria. 

Tolmie artist and project director Heather Matthew said she was overwhelmed by the artistic talents displayed by all who took part.

“There were some fabulous creations all carved out of the humble spud. Some really inventive ones like an ispud (carved like an ipod) and a bag of spuds complete with miniature potatoes in it.

Some of the most special moments where when the relatives of old time farmers came and talked about their memories of potato growing in Tolmie. One old timer wrote:

“If you had a good crop the moths would end up eating them – [when it was a] poor crop they’d be worth ¦10.0.0 [10 pounds] per bag”