The great potato giveaway: U.S. farmers hand out spuds to avoid food waste

People queue for handouts of excess potatoes that would otherwise go to waste due to coronavirus-related supply blockages in Washington. [Photo: Reuters]

When Tina Yates pulled her truck up to a mall in western Washington state on Thursday, workers waved her past hundreds of cars waiting to pick up free russet potatoes.

“You get a VIP pass!” Yates, a bus driver in her 50s, said the workers hollered, as she loaded 1,800 pounds (816 kg) of potatoes into her gray Chevy Silverado, bound for the Salvation Army, local food banks and homes throughout western Washington.