By Tim Leeds/Havre Daily News/tleeds@havredailynews.com
Two north-central Montana farmers are once again offering free potatoes to people in the Havre area.
Wayne and Steve Maughan, who farm near Carter, don't want to just dump potatoes left over from last year's harvest, said Don Bleak, manager of the North Havre Community Services Food Bank. So the two are bringing a truckload to the Hill County Fairgrounds today.
"(The potatoes) are usually still in real good shape," Bleak said.
They usually drop off about 4 to 8 tons.
The Maughans, who could not be reached for comment this morning, said last year that they used to coordinate potato drops with the Missoula food bank when they farmed in western Montana, and have continued the tradition now that they live east of the Continental Divide.
Bleak said they plan to make a donation of potatoes in Great Falls, as well as their drop in Havre.
He said the potatoes will probably be dropped off between 1 and 2 p.m. today. They will be loose, and people will need to bring their own containers to take the potatoes.
The potatoes have to be picked up by Saturday afternoon, Bleak said. He added that he and anyone who wants to help will start removing them up about 3 p.m. Saturday. The remaining potatoes will be used by the food bank, Bleak said.
He added that there will probably be quite a few potatoes left during the evening and Saturday morning, so people who can't get to the fairgrounds right away should still be able to get some spuds.
