Sizzle fizzle: B.C. potato farmers face dilemma as the demand falls for fries
Beauty is only a peeler away.
B.C. potato farmers are hoping grocery shoppers will embrace less-than-perfect Kennebec potatoes, a variety that’s usually turned into fresh-cut french fries, as local restaurant demand has fizzled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The No. 2-grade potatoes sold under the Farmer’s Keepers label are ideal for baking, mashing, roasting and, of course, frying, but they might have a few more lumps and nicks than a typical supermarket spud, said Brian Faulkner, vice-president of business development for BCfresh, which is owned by 31 B.C. potato and produce farms.
“You might have to spend a few extra seconds with the peeler or paring knife, but once you do you’ve got a wonderful all-around potato,” he said.
Eating fries might not be a national duty in Canada, as some in Belgium, which claims to be the birthplace of “pomme frites,” have implied, but local farmers are hoping shoppers will choose their produce at the grocery store.
“The pandemic has changed everything,” said Wes Heppell, owner and general manager of Heppell’s Potato Corporation.
Not only have B.C. restaurants cut their potato orders, reduced demand across Canada has led to a glut of Kennebec potatoes on the fresh market. That has led to downward pressure on prices as potatoes from other provinces find their way to B.C.
Uncertainty about the future has also made it tough for farmers to make planting decisions. Potatoes planted this spring will be harvested in summer and fall, with many put into storage to provide supply through the winter.
“BCfresh has taken a 20-per-cent haircut on the acres we planned to plant for food service,” said Heppell.
“We’re hoping that will mitigate some of the unknowns.”
Working one year in advance to provide the seed for next year’s crop, B.C. seed potato farmers are also impacted.
“The uncertainty is difficult. How do you decide how much to plant?” said Jack Zellweger, owner of Zellweger Farms in Delta.
At La Belle Patate on Davie Street in Vancouver, people are still grabbing poutine to go, but business is dramatically down, said owner Pascal Cormier.
The restaurant seats 30 people, so the end of sitdown service hasn’t been the biggest blow.
Rather, it’s the reduction in tourists, the office lunch crowd and late-night snackers when movies and clubs let out.
“I’m thinking it won’t really get better until people are out and about, shopping, going to Stanley Park, that kind of thing,” said Cormier, who sources potatoes for his popular fries from a farm in Delta.
There are signs some restrictions on food service could be loosened in the coming weeks.
On Thursday, the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association delivered a report to the provincial government pitching plans to reopen with less seating, more space between tables, reduced menus and an emphasis on patios and outdoor eating areas, said president and CEO Ian Tostenson.
He expressed confidence in local farmers to work with restaurateurs, but warned it would be a slow restart: “We’re a long way from business as usual.”