DONATE NOW-THE ROAD TO A MILLION POUNDS

on Wednesday, 06 May 2020. Posted in Blog & News

Help us get free potatoes to the hungry. We have potatoes to give but need funds to pay for washing, packaging, and transportation for food banks in the western U.S.

Ninety percent of all the potatoes grown in Washington State are sold to restaurants and other food service establishments. With so many restaurants closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, our potato farmers have lost most of their customers. These closures and restrictions on restaurants have created a huge surplus of 1 billion pounds of potatoes that no longer have a home. This has created a huge financial loss to many of our growers as they were counting on someone to buy their crop. Our farmers and their families also recognize that they aren’t the only ones suffering financially. So many people have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Our farmers would like to donate their potatoes that were originally set to be processed to food banks and those in need, these are potatoes that are not sorted, so each bag will have multiple sizes. These are not like the potatoes you see in the stores that are all the same size in a bag. The potatoes that we have a surplus of, were all scheduled to be turned into french fries, tater tots, wedges, etc. The farmers do not want to see these potatoes in storage shed go to waste, but don’t have the money to pay for the washing, packaging, or transportation of their potatoes. It costs about seven cents a pound to get them packaged and shipped to a food bank. Your contribution can help us get these donated potatoes to those that are struggling. Our goal is to get 1 million pounds of potatoes bagged and delivered to those in need. Thank you for your generous donation.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-washington-potato-growers-feed-those-in-need?fbclid=IwAR0F6Gkl5l1_ssY4HGLxGmY6udbG8qw_8Tmzf9VsYvissesR2ls5I_RlBG8

If you missed it

Encouraging school foodservice operators to use more poatoes

Encouraging school foodservice operators to use more poatoes

As America’s Favorite Vegetable, potatoes can help provide students with the nutrients and energy they need to do their best during the school day. That’s why it’s important to remind school foodservice operators that potatoes are not only delicious, but also cost-effective and a nutritious addition to the school menu. In partnership with the School Nutrition Association (SNA), two webinars featured potatoes.  The first webinar, “Maximize Your Menus and Minimize Labor Constraints with Potatoes”, showcased potatoes through on-trend, student-friendly menu innovations and solutions to ease labor strains. The second webinar, “Fun Summer Feeding with Potatoes”, showcased how putting potatoes at the center of the plate can enhance summer feeding programs in fresh and fun ways. Both webinars included a live cooking demonstration with Potatoes USA Culinary Director Chef RJ Harvey, RD and Award-Winning Author Dayle Hayes, MS, RD. The demonstrations were pre-recorded in the Potatoes USA Spud Lab and were a big hit with the participants. Webinars Key Takeaways: Nutritional benefits of potatoes at an affordable price How potatoes can limit food waste Ways potatoes can take over as the center of the plate How serving potatoes to children over the summer can be fun Upon webinar completion, attendees were able to earn continuing education credits. All recipes and resources utilized in the webinar are available on the SNA website for future download. Following are some quotes from the operators who were very engaged in the webinar chat. “My favorite Webinar I’ve seen so far this year. VERY helpful and insightful. Well Done!”  “Love Dayle and RJ as a team. Can they please start a cooking youtube series? ‘Dayle and RJ: Potatoes for All!’” “Great webinar, gained new ideas for using potatoes. Thank you!” SNA is recognized as the authority on school nutrition and utilizes weekly webinars to educate their 50,000+ members. For more information on K-12 School Foodservice marketing activities, email potatoesraisethebar@potatoesusa.com.

Read more