This holiday season family gatherings will look a little different than past years. A survey conducted by the research firm Morning Consult found that 47 percent of families say they will cancel holiday get-togethers. Almost half say they will shift from in-person celebrations to virtual.

As with so many other produce industry events, the annual Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting went virtual this year. Held Thursday, Nov. 12, the meeting zoomed in on the industry’s response to market disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the fall of 2019, Green Thumb Farms launched the Farmer’s First program to develop new potato varieties for retailers – and to help consumers discover new products that work well in their kitchens. Last year, Green Thumb partnered with Hannaford to develop the Queen Anne potato. This year they’re partnering with Hannaford again to introduce Fenway Reds, a variety that’s new to Maine.

Side Delights shared its findings from studies published on 2020 Thanksgiving spending and favorite Thanksgiving meals and side dishes. The data showed that almost 75 percent of Americans plan to spend the same amount of money or more on Thanksgiving this year, with 80 percent shopping at stores instead of opting to purchase online. What will they be spending the increase on?

U.S. potato exports for the July to September quarter were down significantly compared to the same period in 2019. This drop is a result of the pandemic’s continuing impact on the demand in many markets, particularly in southeast Asia and Central America, and the tight supplies of U.S. frozen potato products. Additionally, exports for this period in 2019 were at record levels, so the bar was set very high.

A harvest shortfall late in the Red River Valley potato harvest has disappointed some growers, but overall the valley has a nice crop, according to Ted Kreis, marketing director of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association.

In 2020, yellow potatoes now account for 28 percent of the valley’s fresh crop.  “Increasing production of yellow potatoes has been the trend for the last decade or more,” Kreis said. Red potatoes still hold a predominant position as the core business for Red River Valley growers.