Through the Food Bank of Wyoming, over 10,000 pounds of potatoes from the second annual potato harvest at the James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC) at the University of Wyoming are being distributed around the state.

In collaboration with the Food Bank of Wyoming, two UW Extension programs—SAREC and the Cent$ible Nutrition Program (CNP)—harvest potatoes. The intention is to give households experiencing food poverty products grown in Wyoming.

CNP is a hands-on cooking, nutrition, and physical activity program that serves income-qualifying families across Wyoming.

“The potato harvest is a natural partnership between CNP and UW Extension Agricultural Experiment Stations, like SAREC. This is an incredible opportunity to connect locally grown food from SAREC to the families CNP serves in Wyoming,” CNP Director, Mindy Meuli, said.

Fresh produce adds variety to the staples offered by food pantries but can be risky due to spoilage. Donating local produce helps mitigate this risk, and products such as potatoes are especially desirable due to their long shelf life and hardiness during transport.

The 2022 potato harvest was made possible through the efforts of more than 30 volunteers who bagged potatoes in a SAREC field near Lingle on September 24.

Volunteers included graduate students and faculty members from UW’s College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources; faculty and staff members from UW Extension and SAREC; Master Gardeners; church youth groups; and women from the Wyoming Women’s Center.

“It is wonderful to see people coming together to serve all of the communities across Wyoming. With the severe challenges communities are facing to provide for their families, we are thankful for UW Extension, SAREC, and CNP striving to help fight against hunger,” Samantha Maxwell, programs representative at Food Bank of Wyoming, mentioned.

The potatoes are grown as part of UW outreach efforts at SAREC. In 2021, nearly 6,500 pounds of potatoes were donated to the Food Bank of Wyoming. This year, 10,920 pounds were donated, exceeding the goal of 10,000 pounds.

“SAREC is glad to collaborate with the Cent$ible Nutrition Program and many local volunteers to make this happen. This continues to be a good program for the state and local communities. We appreciate all of the help from the SAREC staff growing and harvesting the potatoes, and we look forward to continuing this in the future,” Brian Lee, a research scientist at SAREC, declared.

The potatoes from SAREC are available for food pantries and other partners through the Food Bank of Wyoming. Potatoes also will be distributed by mobile food pantries throughout the state to reach more rural areas.

CNP is working with local food pantries to provide patrons with recipes and resources for using and storing potatoes safely.

“We are thankful to the University of Wyoming Extension programs, SAREC, and the Cent$ible Nutrition Program for the donation of locally grown potatoes to benefit our Wyoming neighbors in need. With higher inflation and fuel prices, many families are seeking food assistance for the first time, so these potatoes will be a welcome addition to our distributions to Hunger Relief Partners this fall,” Rachel Bailey, executive director of Food Bank of Wyoming, summed up.