Spudman

Northwest Potato Growers Expect Dry Season

This year’s irrigation outlook for Northwest potato growers is dry, just like it’s been the past few years. Idaho is in the seventh year of a drought cycle, and this year’s water supply is still uncertain, said Keith Esplin, executive director of Potato Growers of Idaho. “There will be water, but not as much as everybody would like,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have enough moisture to get us through.” Some areas of the state are in better shape than others, and some isolated growers could end up short of water, but most potato growers should survive, Esplin said. “In most cases, people can shuffle crops,” he said. “There’ll be a lot of potatoes planted with limited supplies of water.” Most of the state’s potato growers farm in a crescent along the Snake River. Both surface water and groundwater is used to irrigate. Snow and rain have increased the last few…  » Read more

---

Potato-head Proud

The U.S. Potato Board announced at its annual meeting in March that it is partnering with Hasbro to bring Mr. Potato Head (the original Spud Man, born in 1952) onboard to help promote the healthful aspects of potatoes. If the happiness on the faces of the grown men and women at the meeting is any indication of how the kids – and parents of kids – will react, I can only imagine that the partnership will be a hit. The most exciting outcome of this partnership will be a large Mr. Potato Head balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. More than 44 million people will see the healthy Mr. Potato Head as he floats along the parade rout sporting new workout shoes and a sports watch. The balloon will bring attention to Mr. Potato Head’s new lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with the message of USPB’s…  » Read more

---

New USPB Chairman Sees Potato Market Turning Around

U.S. Potato Board (USPB) Chairman Ray Meiggs knows that it’s going to take a lot of work to help return the country’s potato industry back to where it belongs. Far from being just an elected board member, he’s intimately involved in the potato industry. He’s worked for the Ferebee family – his wife’s family – potato farm, in Camden, N.C., since 1985. And he just recently stepped out of his role there to work with Keith Masser’s Keystone Potato Products. So, yes, he does know a little about what it might take to turn the industry around. “The most important challenge in the short term is to respond to the industry,” Meiggs said. “The big-picture challenge is arresting and turning around the decline of consumption in this country.” And that’s why he’s excited for the opportunities that being USPB chairman will bring. Meiggs said he believes…  » Read more

---

U.S. Cooperative Brings Potato Growers Together

Only four weeks after its formation, United Potato Growers of America had already completed its first program: the acreage bid buy-out program, which ended in mid-April. United’s goal with the buy-out program was to take 12.3 million cwt. out of production for the next crop year, said Jerry Wright, United of America CEO. “After a detailed analysis, we determined there would be at least 12.3 million cwt. excess (this year),” Wright said. The period for accepting bids ended in mid-April, but Wright said the results would be reported with the USDA’s planting report. “We feel very encouraged by the national response,” he said. “We’ve already made the decisions, and we’ve effectively awarded the bids nationwide and will give an official report in conjunction with the USDA reports.” As a follow-up to the buy-out program, which will directly affect 2005’s crop, United of America is hoping to have…  » Read more

---