Bracebridge group feeds food banks by supporting P.E.I potato farmers

A group of people in Bracebridge are helping out local food banks while helping out neighbours across Canada.

The Bracebridge Rotary Club is working to distribute unused potatoes from Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) to help out food banks.

The potato industry in P.E.I. has faced challenges following a recent decision by the federal government to suspend shipments of fresh potatoes to the United States.

The shipment was suspended after food inspectors discovered potato wart in two fields back in October. Potato wart impacts the yield of crops but poses no health risk to humans.

Paul Hammond from the Bracebridge Rotary Club says the initiative began on a road trip to Florida.

"I heard on the radio that someone in Montreal bought a skid of potatoes and gave them to food banks," Hammond says.

Hammond then began rallying neighbouring rotary clubs and utilized a government grant to replicate the donation in the Muskoka area.

Truckloads of potatoes were delivered to local food banks and church groups.

Nearly 50,000 pounds of potatoes were unloaded in Bracebridge on Saturday.

Sam Robinson, president of Manna Food Bank says the items will go a long way.

"We've got a whole lot of potatoes at the food bank," Robinson says.

"Our clients have the option of requesting from a grocery list, and they fill it out is potatoes they're very popular we go through a whole lot of them."

Ricky Sanderson owns Sanderson's Potatoes on Prince Edward Island.

The rotary club chose Sanderson's potato farm after shipments of fresh potatoes from the province to the United States were paused, resulting in crops going to waste.

"It helps, but as you can see, it doesn't make a big dent for me, and I'm left here wondering what I'm going to do with these potatoes," Sanderson says.

Last week the United States announced the resumption of shipments of P.E.I. potatoes to Puerto Rico.

In the meantime, Sanderson's Potatoes are expected to be distributed to hundreds of families across Muskoka over the coming weeks.