Montana farmer to give away 30,000 lbs of potatoes

One Montana potato farmer has too many potatoes on his plate — 30,000 pounds too many. So he’s giving them away.

Matthew Foth has been in the industry for over 20 years. He’s seen ups and downs with harvests, but due to COVID-19 restrictions halting restaurant demands, he has ended up with an abundance of potatoes.

You can pick some up at The Great Potato Giveaway, which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the upper parking lot at MetraPark.

People are encouraged to bring their own containers, and while following social-distancing guidelines, take as many potatoes as needed.

The family farm understands the layoffs and financial issues of many at this time, and hopes that this might also highlight the hardships many in the agriculture industry are encountering.

“I guess one thing I would really hope is people learn or remember where there food comes from,” Foth said. “It doesn’t just magically show up in the grocery store. There’s farmers out there, ranchers that are producing the products and truck drivers that have to get them to the supermarkets, and that would be my biggest hope, is that people would be a little more in-tune with where there food comes from and appreciate the American farmer.

Make sure to follow Q2 News throughout the weekend as we take a deeper look at the impact on many farmers and ranchers in our area through these uncertain times.