POCATELLO — An agronomist who works for a regional potato farm found a higher purpose for a truckload of seed potatoes that couldn't be delivered to a customer.

Emily Tolley, agronomist for the CSS Farms seed potato operation in Holbrook, drove a pickup truck with a bed filled with spuds 62 miles from the central Oneida County city to Pocatello City Hall on Thursday evening. She posted a large cardboard sign inviting people to take free potatoes.

The spuds drew a large crowd at a time of rising need, due to the spread of a novel coronavirus strain, COVID-19. Unemployment is on the rise throughout the country as more consumers stay at home to limit community spread of the contagious pathogen.

All of the spuds in the truckload were claimed within a couple of hours.

Consumers have been stocking up on crucial supplies recently, preparing to spend a lot more time at home. Stores have had trouble keeping much of their inventory — potatoes included — in stock.

Potatoes store well and are high in vitamin C and potassium. Prices charged by shippers for fresh, retail potato bags have risen dramatically in recent weeks, due to coronavirus-related demand. Officials with the national potato marketing organization Potatoes USA, however, predict the coronavirus "anxiety" economy will be short-lived.

"I think (Tolley) was a little taken aback by the attention it drew," said Laurie Widdowson, the farm's marketing and development manager. "She had been reading the Facebook posts and the news articles that said people were not able to get potatoes at the grocery store."

Widdowson said Tolley drove all the way to Pocatello because she wanted to find a place where she could reach a large group of people with the greatest need.

"She definitely went the extra mile," Widdowson said.

CSS Farms is based in Kearney, Nebraska. The company raises potatoes and other crops in 11 states, with the Holbrook seed farm representing its sole Idaho operation. Widdowson said the Idaho farm produces several varieties of seed potatoes, including russets, specialty potatoes and chipping varieties.

Widdowson said other CSS locations have also made an effort to donate potatoes, providing extra loads to area food banks and school lunch programs.