Lamb Weston donates truckloads of fresh potatoes

PASCO — Major potato processor Lamb Weston announced Wednesday it is partnering with Feeding the Northwest to provide truckloads of potatoes to food banks in Louisiana and Texas.

The company has potatoes that won’t be processed and cited increasing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic as motivation for the donation.

The potatoes were to be sent from Pasco through the Feeding America network of food banks.

“Lamb Weston has been working very closely with Feeding the Northwest to identify opportunities to donate our excess potatoes to food banks in communities in need,” Lamb Weston Communications Manager Tammy Barry told the Columbia Basin Herald on Thursday. “We shipped four truckloads yesterday and three more today. In total we have donated roughly 270,000 pounds of potatoes, and hope to donate more.”

Rod Wieber, the executive director of the Spokane-based Feeding the Northwest, part of Feeding America, said he helps secure fresh produce from across the region and arranges to have it shipped to food banks and pantries throughout the United States.

“Lamb Weston has given us some big donations of fresh and frozen potatoes,” Wieber said.

In Grant County, Lamb Weston has potato processing facilities in Quincy and Warden.

Barry said the company’s processing facilities “continue to operate” and the company is still producing “food service and retail items,” though, without being specific, she did say “there has been a decrease in demand due to COVID-19 closures.”

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].