Table to Table Receives 40,000 Pounds of Potatoes
The surplus yellow potatoes are being bagged by volunteers and distributed to Eastern Iowa food banks through a national farm-surplus partnership.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Table to Table received a 40,000-pound donation of yellow potatoes in Iowa City, sourced through The Farmlink Project, a national nonprofit that connects surplus farm produce with communities facing food insecurity. Volunteers bagged the potatoes into 10-pound bags for distribution to Eastern Iowa food banks.
Why it matters
The potatoes had no buyer or available market, and food and fuel prices have taken a toll on family budgets. Regional food pantries average 13,000 family visits per month this year.
Table to Table received 40,000 pounds of yellow potatoes, which volunteers are packing into 10-pound bags, compared with a similar donation in 2024. Regional food pantries average 13,000 family visits per month this year, and the source does not say how many households the 2026 supply will reach.
The players
Table to Table
Table to Table is an Iowa City-based food rescue and distribution nonprofit that coordinates donated food to local food banks and pantries.
The Farmlink Project
The Farmlink Project is a national nonprofit that connects surplus farm produce with communities facing food insecurity.
The details
The potatoes arrived as a single semi load and were sourced through a partnership with The Farmlink Project. Volunteers from the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties and Big Grove for Good bagged them on Thursday, and Table to Table will coordinate distribution with the Johnson County Food Access Network and the HACAP Food Reservoir.
Timeline
2024: Table to Table received a similar potato donation.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: Volunteers bagged the potatoes into 10-pound bags.
Monday, November 9, 2026: Another bagging session is planned.
Market Landscape
The donation is a delivery through The Farmlink Project's national network, which routes surplus farm produce that has no buyer to food-insecure communities. It follows the same surplus-redistribution model the nonprofit operates across the country, and Table to Table received a similar potato donation through it in 2024.
Food pantries in Eastern Iowa are receiving a large supply of potatoes that would otherwise have gone unsold, which can help stretch household food budgets. Residents needing food assistance can contact local partner pantries such as those coordinated by the Johnson County Food Access Network.
The takeaway
Surplus food that has no market can still reach families when nonprofits and volunteers coordinate quickly. Local donors and volunteers can support similar efforts by contacting regional food banks about upcoming bagging or distribution needs.
What happens next
Volunteers are scheduled to hold another bagging session on Monday, November 9, 2026.
Further reading
For related coverage of charitable giving and nonprofit work, see Philanthropy on our business desk.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Gazette.
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