Despite some heat, season looking productive for Potandon
Despite some heat, season looking productive for Potandon
The potato harvest is already under way for Potandon Produce LLC, headquartered in Idaho Falls, ID. “Growing conditions have been favorable for most of the summer,” said Ralph Schwartz, vice president of marketing, sales and innovation. He said a two-week period of extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest will affect a portion of the crop, with some fields having reduced yields and size profile.
“The current Idaho crop has a slightly above-average size profile, and we are seeing a lighter set on the plants,” he said Sept. 9. “The Burbank crop harvest will start late next week, and we are anticipating a similar profile. But with nothing dug, we cannot confirm the overall profile. The Norkotahs, which are being harvested now, have exhibited typical off-the-field defects with some immaturity and skinning.”
The harvest ramped up the first week of August. In addition to russets, Potandon grows Agata, Klondike Rose, Cecile, Allian, Red Chieftans, Bluebelle “and many test varieties and small batch lots,” Schwartz stated.
Potatoes are branded as “Green Giant Fresh,” “Klondike Brands,” “Klondike Express” and “Potandon Produce” as well as being marketed under the “Sunfresh” label.
Convenience is a prime consideration for consumers, and Potandon’s potatoes provide consumers with ease of preparation.
“The single-meal size packaging and washed, ready-to-use potatoes are key convenience factors,” Schwartz stated. “We also have microwaveable packaging for both our Klondike Express, which is a shelf stable line of potatoes with no seasoning, and our premium line of Green Giant sauced steamers, which is a fresh potato combined with a butter-based seasoning puck, which coats the potatoes while cooking. This is a refrigerated line. The smaller-sized potatoes in a multitude of colors allow for great plate presentations, easy stew and crock-pot additions, and faster cooking times.”
The company is updating its website with a friendlier look and feel. “We’ve added a new recipe section that is focused on commodity potatoes to mirror the variety potato recipe bank we have on www.klondikebrands.com,” he said. “The primary message of the new recipe section is taste, and the recipes are branded with ‘Potatoes, just for the TASTE.’”
