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Explorer

Past stories Living off-the-grid New Brunswick's Saint John River Ontario's Bruce Trail Canadian Ski Marathon Elk Island National Park Rallying for rallysport Montreal - Circus city Beluga Bytes Dawson - a musical adventure Bald Eagle Confederation Trail Boning up on the badlands Ukkusiksalik National Park Geocaching Discover Cypress Hills Saint Joseph's Oratory A walk through Stanley Park Sudbury's science centre Acadia continues Toronto's underground world

Prince Edward Island (map) is literally a colourful place. It is surrounded by blue water and the contrast of sprawling fields of emerald green potato plants thriving in rich, red soil.

The red soil comes from the soft, red sandstone that makes up the sedimentary bedrock of the island. The redness of the soil is due to the high levels of iron oxide in it, which "rusts" when it is exposed to air.

The red soil is ideal for growing potatoes, which is the island's chief crop and for which it is famous. The rich, red soil actually gives the island's potatoes a unique and distinctive flavour. Potatoes account for more than 40 percent of the province's total farm cash receipts and approximately 30 percent of Canada's potatoes are grown in Prince Edward Island.