Fresh potato packing sheds will be done shipping potatoes earlier than usual. For East Grand Forks, Minnesota-based Folson Farms, the season is expected to wrap up in early April; an average shipping season goes through May. “We definitely have less supplies for the market this year,” says Casey Folson, sales and marketing manager, Folson Farms. “I know there are other growers with similar circumstances. There are less red potatoes in the Red River Valley this year.” The demand for fresh red and yellow potatoes remain strong, but Folson says the marketing focus for this season has shifted. “Putting stuff in packages for retail seems to be where consumer demand is at right now with the lack of foodservice business.”
