Potato giveaway in Ritzville
There are rarely traffic jams in the small Adams County farming town of Ritzville, but there was one Wednesday morning as people turned out in droves for 20 tons of free potatoes that were given away.
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Angie Griffith, center, loads the back of Steve McDougall’s van as volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. These potatoes represent a massive loss for Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and the were still taking up room in storage.
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Cheryl Schibel organizes totes full of potatoes as she and other volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville on Wednesday.
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Jeff Schibel, lelft, loads multiple bags of free potatoes into a van as event organizer Michele Kiesz, right, holds the lift gate open during an event where volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Schibel owns a farm where potatoes are grown and knows the upheaval in the industry as the lack of restaurant sales has crashed the potato market. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage.
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Brayden Duff, 16, right, helps Lara Evans, left, carry bags of potatoes to her ride in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Farmer Marvin Wollman needed to clear out his storage after contracts to buy the potatoes were cancelled because of shuttered restaurants.
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Farmer Marvin Wollman, center, talk with organizer Michele Kiesz, left, while volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. These potatoes represent a massive loss for Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and the were still taking up room in storage.
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Jeff Schibel waits for more customers as he and other volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Schibel owns a farm where potatoes are grown and knows the upheaval in the industry as the lack of restaurant sales has crashed the potato market. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage.
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John Kraemer, center, prepares to load more bags of potatoes given away by volunteers like Cheryl Schibel, left, Wednesday, April 29, 2020 in downtown Ritzville, Washington. Farmer Marvin Wollman decided to give away thousands of pounds of potatoes rather than dumping them to rot after large contracts to buy them were cancelled because of closed restaurants due to COVID-19. Wollman paid to wash and bag the potatoes for the giveaway.
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Thousands of pounds of potatoes wait in totes as volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. These potatoes represent a massive loss for Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and the were still taking up room in storage.
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Cars line up around large cardboard totes as volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage. Wollman paid to have them washed and bagged, even though he was just giving them away.
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Cheryl Schibel, right, hands a bag of potatoes to the next customer in line as she and other volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Schibel and her husband own a farm around Odessa where potatoes are grown and they know the upheaval in the industry as the lack of restaurant sales has crashed the potato market. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage.
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Volunteers, including 16-year-old Brayden Duff, second from right, dig into full totes of potatoes to give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage.
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Jeff Schibel motion to the next customer as he and other volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Schibel owns a farm where potatoes are grown and knows the upheaval in the industry as the lack of restaurant sales has crashed the potato market. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage. Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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Jeff Schibel offers multiple bags of free potatoes to a customer as he and other volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Schibel owns a farm where potatoes are grown and knows the upheaval in the industry as the lack of restaurant sales has crashed the potato market. The giveaway potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and they were still taking up room in storage.
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DeWayne Kagele lifts a 15-pound bag of potatoes as he and other volunteers give away hundreds of 15-pound bags of potatoes to anyone who came by the lot in downtown Ritzville, Washington Wednesday, April 29, 2020. These potatoes represent a massive loss for farmer Marvin Wollman, who grew them and needed to get rid of them after large contracts to buy them were cancelled and the were still taking up room in storage.
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