A partial list of food banks that have received or are awaiting their shipments is attached to this release. Volunteers across the state of Idaho are donating their time to pack and load the potatoes for shipment. Kingston Produce donated the cost of processing for the first five truckloads, Outback Steakhouse donated hundreds of 50 pound sacks and C.H. Robinson is providing 300,000 ten-pound bags for packing the potatoes. Because of this year's record crop production, the potato market is saturated, and prices at the wholesale level are at an historical low. The 198 Idaho farmers represented by PMC are taking up to 10 percent of the crop off the market in an effort to raise prices to the levels necessary to ensure a living for potato growers.
Potatoes are a particularly good source of many nutrients necessary for good health.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are among the hardest foods for low-income families to afford, and America's Second Harvest has worked hard to increase the amount of fresh produce available through its food banks to local agencies serving the hungry. Last fiscal year the organization distributed 36 million pounds or 108 million servings of fresh produce to 128 food banks across the country. Ariz. Community Harvest Food Bank, Ft.