NoKota Packers Inc. Promotes Perfectly Good Imperfect Potatoes
October 27, 2025 | 4 min to read
In-Store and Online Promotions Educate Consumers and Eliminate Food Waste
Buxton, ND – NoKota Packers Inc. (NoKota) announced a local promotion to educate consumers that produce doesn’t have to be perfect, while helping support sustainability in agriculture and eliminate food waste.
The company is offering consumers “perfectly good imperfect” potatoes that don’t make it to grocery store shelves. Producing food that goes to waste consumes resources such as water, energy, and cropland, in addition to incurring financial losses for farmers. As food waste continues to become a growing concern, retailers, suppliers, and shoppers seek solutions – such as the use of imperfect produce, a category that includes items with cosmetic blemishes, unusual color, shape, or size.
“We want to help raise awareness of the value of ‘ugly’ produce, while generating buzz about how to eliminate food waste, be better stewards of the planet – and quite frankly find a home for perfectly good spuds,” noted Carissa Olsen, President/CEO of NoKota. “We plan always to have a bin available for picking, and in the future, we’d like to add a designated day for ‘pay-what-you-can’ for the perfectly imperfect potatoes’ for those in need of some additional help.”
The bin will be available for people to pick up potatoes Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, at NoKota’s Buxton location at 16218 13th St NE, 1/2 mile west of I-29, Exit 118. 701-847-2200. NoKota is promoting the potato bins to the local market through community outreach and social media, including posts on the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063472990055.
NoKota is a member of the Fresh Solutions Network (FSN) of farmers. As part of FSN’s commitment to improving sustainable food management practices and reducing food waste, SPUDS less-than-perfect potatoes were added to the potato portfolio in 2023.
For more information, visit nokotapackers.com, freshsolutionsnet.com, and http://grownwhereitmatters.com/
ABOUT NOKOTA PACKERS
NoKota Packers is a third-generation packer and shipper of red potatoes in the Red River Valley, renowned for its superior quality and service. With a state-of-the-art facility in Buxton, North Dakota, and sales connections in the Red River Valley, Central Minnesota, and Fresh Solutions Network national partner locations, NoKota Packers is honored to have the commitment of premier potato growers in the Red River Valley. NoKota Packers’ customers span all segments of the potato category, from retail to wholesale, food service, and re-packers.