Red River Valley potato growers in North Dakota and Minnesota are seeing a contrast in growing seasons, with rain helping this season’s red and yellow potatoes, a departure from the dry summer last year in the valley.

 Carissa Olsen, president and CEO of Buxton, ND-based NoKota Packers, said the hot and dry harvest last year didn’t seem to affect yields or size, but there were some quality issues.

“We were able to work through those (quality issues) but definitely welcomed the rain during the 2025 growing season,” Olsen said. “Digging conditions and temperatures have been very good to start. Moisture levels have been very good this year, and quality and yields are back to normal compared to this time last year.”

NoKota Packers typically ships red and yellow potatoes from late September to late April/early May, but with slow movement the company was still shipping 2024 crop potatoes in June.

“The movement really slowed after mid-March, so it took longer to move it,” Olsen said. “We always have a gap in our product availability from May to September. We can fulfill customer orders starting in late July as we work with growers in central Minnesota at that time.”

Olsen characterized the growing season as decent, but some areas lost acreage due to flooding.

“The 2025 crop looks good,” she said. “Yields looked like they may be down slightly compared to the last few year averages, but as we start harvest they are looking to be more average or slightly above. The quality seems to be slightly above average in most samples.”

She said this year’s rain was welcome, but there are a few acres that weren’t harvested due to the rain.

“A few areas have been a little wetter than we like and we will have some loss of acres due to drown out,” Olsen said. “We start to scout the fields shortly after planting and continue to check them throughout the growing season. A few test digs are done after the plants bloom, but most full samples aren’t taken until early August.”

Quality seems to be slightly above average for this season, she said.

The majority of what NoKota Packers ships is reds, with 70-75 percent of total sales; the remainder of the crop is yellow potatoes. The company has increased some yellow production to meet customer and grower needs, Olsen said.

“We feel that preferences started to change during COVID where we saw an increase of coverage of yellow potatoes on social media and by social media influencers,” she said. “While the reason remains somewhat of a mystery, we believe consumers are drawn to the bright, inviting yellow color.”

NoKota Packers is a member of the Fresh Solutions Network, a group of family-owned growers and shippers whose potatoes and onions are used in value-added packs that feature small potatoes, sauce and spices. Growers in eight U.S. potato and onion growing areas are involved in Fresh Solutions Network.

NoKota Packers joined the group in 2012.

“The response to Side Delights has been extraordinary,” Olsen said. “Being part of a shared national brand allows us to cross-dock and maximize logistical efficiencies, providing our customers with streamlined, cost-effective service.

“In addition, the national scope of the Side Delights brand gives us the strength of unified public relations and marketing efforts, while still delivering regional relevance specific to our growing area,” she said.