Apr 24, 2020

‘LIVE with Kelly and Ryan,’ ‘GMA’ takes notice of Ryan Cranney’s potato surplus giveaway

An act of generosity born from an unfortunate situation has turned Ryan Cranney into something of a national celebrity.

Cranney, of Cranney Farm in Oakley, Idaho, is just one of countless farmers in the United States who is facing financial hardship because the foodservice demand for their product has all but disappeared. With millions of potatoes in storage meant for processing that he suddenly couldn’t find a buyer for, Cranney decided, rather than let them go to waste or attempt to sell them cheap for livestock feed, to offer them free to people in his community.

He posted a picture on Facebook April 14 of a giant pile of potatoes to let folks around Oakley know there were freebies to be had. The post went viral and soon people were driving hours — as far away as Las Vegas and Kansas — to get some of Cranney’s free spuds.

The situation was quickly noticed by national new outlets. CNN was the first to cover the story. National Public Radio did as well.

On April 23, Cranney was a guest on “LIVE with Kelly and Ryan.” Cranney also was interviewed by “Now This,” during which time he detailed why the potatoes in storage need to be moved out sooner rather than later.

Cranney’s situation, along with many others, also has sparked action by those outside the agriculture industry. John Botti, a money manager in Westchester, New York, helped organize a group to get the surplus food to those in need. Among the early shipments is 43,000 pounds of Cranney’s potatoes headed for the Bronx, New York.

“Good Morning America” had the story.

Top photo courtesy of Ryan Cranney