(UPDATED COVERAGE, June 14) Grand Forks, N.D.-based Black Gold Farms is offering retailers a locally grown summer red potato program in five states.
The company is packing at its Pearsall, Texas, facility and recently started production in North Florida. Growing regions and local programs also include Missouri and Arkansas, which have yet to start, as well as Indiana, which starts in about a month, said Leah Brakke, spokeswoman.
“A lot of population centers are around our production areas,” Brakke said. “Our customers are demanding and looking for ways to cut their food miles and costs. Consumers are always looking for a locally grown product.”
Potatoes grown in Arkansas or southeast Missouri can carry the local label in either state, she said. Potatoes grown in the other states will be marketed as local only in the state of origin, Any shipped outside of the five states will not carry the local label.
The offering is noted with on-pack tags and messages. A quick-response code links shoppers to a video of the growing region and local programs supported by Black Gold Farms.
The company also offers retailers ways to develop regional campaigns or customizable point-of-sale messages tied to product displays.
This is the second year Black Gold Farms has sourced fresh table stock red potatoes; previously it focused on the chip industry. The locally grown reds are expected to be available for five months. The company supplies red potatoes year-round, and grows and ships Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes and peanuts.
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