Amstad Produce
Sherwood and Hermiston, OR
Amstad Produce Inc. is the largest partner in Farmers Ending Hunger. Last year they contributed the largest amount of food donated from a single source: 660,000 pounds of potatoes.
Amstad Produce, Inc. sign at the Sherwood entrance. Note the FEH logo!
The Amstad Produce, Inc. team:
Tony Amstad, Skeeter Amstad, DeeAnn Amstad, Todd Dimbat and Jeff Urbach
Amstad Produce Inc. is a family business. Founder Tony Amstad is President, wife DeeAnn is Comptroller. Jeff Urbach, their son, is General Manager, son Skeeter manages the Sherwood farm and nephew Todd manages the Hermiston farm.
Tony Amstad started growing potatoes in 1959. As the population expanded throughout the northern Willamette Valley, it became difficult to find enough farmable acres. In 1989 they expanded their operation to Eastern Oregon. The majority of their potatoes are now grown and stored in the Hermiston area. These potatoes are trucked to the farm in Sherwood for processing, packaging and shipping.
The potatoes are washed, sorted and packaged into various sizes. Amstad Produce’s commitment to Farmers Ending Hunger is evident in the fact that the FEH logo is on the shipping bags.
Jeff Urbach, General Manager with John Burt, Executive Director, FEH.
Jeff Urbach, General Manager at the potato sorting line in Sherwood.
Amstad potatoes can be purchased throughout the United States at retailers including Fred Meyer, Safeway, Thriftway and WinCo. They ship their potatoes across the globe, to neighboring Canada and Mexico and as far away as Hong Kong and Russia. The potatoes that Amstad sell throughout the world are the same ones that are found in the food boxes at the Oregon Food Bank; they are the same high quality potatoes that you purchase at your local grocery store.
In 2007, Farmers Ending Hunger held an informational luncheon in Hermiston to raise producer awareness of the program. Tony Amstad asked, Fred Ziari, President of Farmers Ending Hunger, “Could you use potatoes?” And from that point on, Amstad Produce has been a faithful and generous contributor.
Jeff Urbach, General Manager and primary contact for FEH, grew up working on the family farm and is actively supporting his children as they participate in Future Farmers of America. Son Jacob is even growing winter squash for Farmers Ending Hunger this year through the Sherwood FFA chapter.
Amstad Produce donates to many organizations but Jeff Urbach especially likes working with Farmers Ending Hunger, “because FEH is farmer based, they understand how farmers work, which makes it easier for the farmers to donate”.
Farmers Ending Hunger appreciates Amstad’s donation because the potatoes need no additional processing. The potato bags can be sent directly to Oregon Food Bank.
Urbach recognizes that many farmers are consistently helping others. FEH gives farmers a practical avenue to help provide for Oregon’s hungry. He also appreciates the fact that FEH takes donations year around. There are hungry people all year.
Jeff Urbach says FEH starts with farmers, it is Farmers Ending Hunger. Donating to the cause is the right thing to do.