ROAD TO 1 MILLION POUNDS OF POTATOES REACHED - OLYMPIA

Freightliner Northwest

13232 Case Road SW

Olympia, WA

June 2, 2020 at 11:00am

The Washington State potato growers will reach their mission to get 1 million pounds of potatoes that were scheduled to be processed to those in need on June 2 in our State Capitol. Our growers have also graciously donated many more loose potatoes directly out of their storage sheds. 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 storages full of these potatoes that were scheduled to be turned into french fries, tater tots, hash browns and many other frozen potato products. Our farmers and their families recognize that they are not the only ones suffering financially and they have the potatoes in their storage sheds that can feed so many. Many people have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. They set a goal to donate 1 million of the nearly 1 billion pounds of excess processing potatoes to help those in need. These are not like the potatoes you see in the stores, they may have a few blemishes and they are not sorted by size in the bags, but they are just as delicious and nutritious and grown right here in Washington.

Despite this major setback, Washington potato growers are making an effort to feed our communities. On the Road to a Million pounds of Potatoes being donated, we have partnered with local groups in each community we have been in and had volunteers come in and donate their time to help us get the potatoes loaded into vehicles as quickly as possible. We are excited to announce that we will have 100,000 pounds of processing potatoes to feed those need in the Olympia and surrounding areas. The Washington State Potato Commission has partnered with Freightliner Northwest and local volunteers to make this possible. Freightliner Northwest is located at 13232 Case Road SW, Olympia. To avoid traffic backups on off ramps, please use the following: from NB I-5 take Exit 95, from SB I-5 take Exit 99 (93rd Street).

Potatoes will be bagged and can be loaded directly into your vehicles. Food banks can also make arrangements with the Potato Commission to pick up a pallet for their local locations by calling 509-765-8845 or emailing office@potatoes.com. All potatoes will be first come first serve. Washington Potato Growers know people are in need and want to help as much as possible. With the potatoes being donated, it still costs about 7 cents per pound to wash, bag and transport a load of potatoes. The Washington State Potato Commission has set up a GoFundMe page to help with the costs of these giveaways. Potatoes are a staple that provides vitamins and nutrients while being extremely versatile. For more information on Washington potatoes, visit www.potatoes.com.