P.E.I. farms offering free spuds as potato destruction deadline looms

Five potato farms on P.E.I. are welcoming Islanders to their warehouses Saturday to get free potatoes in an event called Come Fill Your Boots, though people can carry spuds out the door with bags, boxes or anything else.

Islanders can come to one of these locations: G Visser & Sons, R.A. Rose & Sons, Blue Bay Farms, Vanco Farms and W.P. Griffin. The farms are opening their storage Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Farmers will be at each location to greet guests and answer questions.

The giveaway is aimed at putting some of the potatoes that remain unsold because of the U.S. export ban to good use. Island growers have until the end of February to destroy the potatoes and qualify for government compensation for the lost sales.

The export ban has been in place since late November, following the discovery of potato wart in two Island fields.

Island potato growers are still waiting on a clear timeline for reopening the United States border to P.E.I. spuds as the spring planting season approaches.