This year’s potato harvest is going “very well”

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – This year's drought was a concern for farmers and their crops, but according to a local potato grower, the harvest is, "going very well."

Bryon Reed is one of the potato growers in East Idaho and says, "The crop is really good quality this year, the weather has been just excellent and we're having a really good harvest."

He says the quality this year is much better compared to last.

But Ron Patterson, the University of Idaho Extension Horticulture Educator of Bonneville County, says although the crop and quality has been great, "yields are down a little bit, mostly because of the cooler season in the spring."

In potato farming, "yields" are the number of sacks of 100 pounds harvesters gather per acre.

So, in simple terms, this year's crop is bringing us great quality but less quantity.

With the unpredictable weather in the area, harvesters try to collect all their crop within two weeks.

Patterson says Idaho is notorious for potatoes because of our soil and climate.