SHIP POTATOES THROUGH THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

Mailbox Wednesday! The USPS is a farm-friendly organization that allows some perishables to be mailed.

“Yes, Virginia, you may mail a potato to grandpa.” While the USPS DMM (Domestic Mail Manual) doesn’t specifically have a potato mailing section, it doesn’t prohibit the practice, so American postal customers with wry senses of humor occasionally take to potato-mailing to keep things interesting. Here’s how to do it:

(A) PACKAGING: To be clear, potatoes may be shipped [at parcel rates] either with or without packaging, but packaging is, of course, recommended to limit damage [yet, that wouldn’t be a lot of fun]. You may also use non-paper packing materials like plastic bubble wrap, and get creative with cardboard and newspapers as long as the packaged potato is within conventional packaging requirements.

(B) ADDRESSING: You may write the name/address (and/or country) directly onto the potato skin. As with any mailed package, and as per USPS DMM Seciton 602.1.5.3 (“Addressing: Elements of Addressing” ref: https://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/602.pdf) your destination address should include the recipient’s name, complete delivery address (Street or PO Box), city/town and ZIP Code; international shipping is, for some reason, also OK. It’s a best practice to write the recipient/destination address length-ways on the potato — parallel with the longer direction — if you don’t use packaging.

(C) POSTAGE: Self-shipping is not an option even if you think you’re sure you have the correct postage — you must have the potato weighed by a postal clerk at a retail counter to determin correct postage, but you may still use the USPS Price Calculator tool to calculate domestic (but not international) postage costs.

(D) PERISHABILITY: A shipped potato is considered “perishable” if it may be subject to damage or spoilage during transit. This may sound like a cheeky determination, but common sense goes a long way here (that said, if you’re still reading about potato shipping, perhaps “common sense” is not applicable — it’s certainly not a defined term in the USPS DMM). For larger quantities of shipped potatoes, consider using a breathable container such as a ventilated crate or mesh bag to promote airflow.

(E) LIABILITY / INSURANCE: You may not insure your potato for compensation in the event of potential damage via USPS transit or spoilage. In short, you ship potatoes through the USPS at your own risk! If you are not sure what the best potatoes for shipping are, try Russet potatoes, as they are known for their thick skins and overall hardiness, making for excellent shipping potatoes.

(F) TRANSIT TIME: Shipping may take under a week locally or regionally, but plan up to 20 days when shipping out-of-area or around the country. To be clear, the USPS does not offer a guaranteed shipping timeframe for this class of parcel services.

Want to know more? Of course you do! Visit the USPS’s “Fun Facts” page here: https://facts.usps.com/mailing-potatoes/

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