Potato farmers support charities

MOSES LAKE — Food banks, cancer research and cooking classes are among the charitable activities supported by potato farmers in 2016.

Washington State Potato Commission spokesman Ryan Holterhoff detailed the commission’s charitable project during the second annual All Ag Day in Olympia. The event highlights the contributions of the state’s agriculture industry.

The day includes a trade show, and all legislators who visited the WSPC booth were entered into a drawing for a donation of 2,500 pounds of potatoes for a food bank or charity of the legislator’s choice. Steve Tharinger, representative for the 24th District, was the winner. (The 24th District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.)

Tharinger chose to donate the potatoes to Coastal Harvest in Hoquiam, Holterhoff said. The non-profit organization distributes food to about 50 food banks and other agencies serving the southwestern corner of the state.

Coastal Harvest does all the work for its participating agencies, said executive director Tony Airhart. “We provide trucking, warehousing, cold storage and repack of bulk foods.”

Potatoes are appreciated because of their versatility, Airhart said. “For us an added bonus is that we get use (the donation) to fill in where it is needed, as opposed to much of our food that is allocated to specific food banks.”

The WSPC celebrates Potato Lover’s Month with a cooking contest, where the food the children prepare will be donated to charity.

The project, in conjunction with Blue Ribbon Cooking, Seattle, provided one grade school class in the Puget Sound region with an afternoon cooking class. “The students will use potatoes during their class and have a friendly cook-off. All the food the students prepare will be donated to community organizations that help those in need,” Holterhoff wrote.

The winning class is a fifth grade from Seattle. The cooking class is set for June 10.

Women participating in the annual Women’s Day program at the Washington-Oregon Potato Conference raised money to fight ovarian cancer. Women’s Day included a visit to the Stahl Hutterian Colony in Stanfield, Ore.; the Stahl family asked for a donation for ovarian cancer research. The luncheon drew nearly 50 people, and the women donated $3,740 to the cancer foundation.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.