Potandon Produce Debuts Organic Potatoes Grown in North Dakota

Potandon Produce is now offering organic red and organic yellow potatoes from the Red River Valley. Although not the pioneer in organic potatoes, Potandon is the first company to market organic potatoes grown in North Dakota for the retail community, say company officials.

“Fresh produce has always been and will continue to be the gateway for organics and it’s shown steady growth over the last decade,” says Ralph Schwartz, Potandon vice president of sales. “Almost 13 percent of the produce sold in the United States is now organic; a number which is growing. We’ve watched as organic products, especially produce items have shifted from being a lifestyle choice for a small share of consumers, to mainstream for a majority of Americans.”

Harvested acres produced a smaller crop than originally planned due to heavy rains during the growing season, but the quality of what was harvested is excellent, officials add. The red varieties are Norland and Red Ruby and the yellow variety is Agata. Even though shipments have just started for the season, plans are already in place to increase acreages and varieties grown for next year.