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Good supplies, quality for fresh potatoes at Big Lake, MN

A farmer in southern Minnesota says it’s been hot for fresh potato harvest this year.

Pete Ewing raises fresh red and yellow potatoes in Big Lake and tells Brownfield harvest has been wrapping up earlier in the day so potatoes maintain their quality and store better.

“We’ve had to quit digging when it gets too hot and the last few weeks, we’ve been wrapping up around noon, but we’re still going 6 days a week.”

Ewing says it’s been a dry growing year, but irrigation is making potato digging easier and the crop is nice.

“Sometimes we feel we can grow a better crop when we don’t get rain and can control the moisture ourselves,” he says. “The quality has been very nice and overall, it’s been good this year.”

He says due to good supplies of fresh potatoes, prices are about $5 per hundredweight lower than last year, but there is good demand. He says harvest is expected to continue a few more weeks with shipping season ending in October.