Wilcox Fresh is a potato grower and shipper with its roots in Rexburg, Idaho. Derek Peterson, vice president of shed operations at Wilcox Fresh, says that this year, there is a good start to the harvest season.
"So far, it's been a really nice fall," Peterson says. "The weather's cooperated really well with us for harvest and we've been able to get started. We're probably approaching halfway hoping to finish strong this year."
Farmers are hoping the weather will continue to cooperate and avoid a repeat of last year, when the potato harvest was hit with frost that stopped spud companies in their tracks and caused extensive crop damage.
"Kind of made for a tough year for packing and shipping those potatoes, but we managed to get through. So this year we're holding our breath mother nature holds out for us and provide the weather we need to get the rest of the crop in this year," says Peterson.
"Our demand has changed a lot in the last six months," Peterson continues. "As a result of COVID-19, we've had periods of really good demand followed up by periods of really poor demand. Luckily the USDA box program that's been implemented since June of this year has kind of come in and filled the gap."