Spudman

Progress on PVY

Hear what Jonathan Whitworth has to say about PVY. Click here to watch the video! Hear more from Phil Nolte about PVY. Click here. New strains of the PVY virus are migrating across the country and that has both the potato industry and researchers looking for varieties with more pronounced resistance to the virus strains and for less expensive means to test for the different strains of the virus. On September 1, 2009, a team of researchers across the country initiated a five year grant to development better management of PVY and eradicate PVY necrotic strains. They will be evaluating varieties that show greater resistance to these new strains of PVY. Stewart Gray, Ph.D., a plant pathologist at Agriculture Research Service in Ithaca, N.Y. and at Cornell University, is the principal investigator on the grant with 8 additional co-P.I.s from Idaho and Wisconsin. Gray said that the project has three…  » Read more

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Spudman7: Tim O’Connor

Click here to hear more from Tim O'Connor. Tim O’Connor is President and CEO of the United States Potato Board, based in Denver. Under Tim’s leadership, a new strategy was developed 10 years ago that began a journey to take the USPB to a place it had never been before; positioned as a catalyst for positive change in the industry. To achieve this vision it was necessary to understand the business environment for potatoes, and empowered by this new understanding, shape the future of the industry. Guided by this strategy, domestic marketing initiatives deliver a consumer-focused retail channel marketing program, and a nutrition advertising campaign, international marketing programs are developing new potato export opportunities for the entire portfolio of US potato products in targeted markets. O’Connor also worked for the beef industry for 12 years and was part of the teams that launched the “BEEF. It’s What’s…  » Read more

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The Center of it All: New NPC President Hails from Colorado

Colorado’s San Luis Valley, wedged between the Sangre de Cristo mountain range on the east and the San Juan Mountains on the west, in the middle of southern Colorado, is one of the largest high desert valleys in the world. The valley is approximately 122 miles long and 74 miles wide with an average altitude elevation of over 7,500 feet, and runs from Colorado into New Mexico. The region is rich in history. Before the Spanish conquest, the Ute Indians called the area home until 1895 when they were forced to emigrate. The northern route of the Old Spanish Trail passes through the valley. Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey was born in Manassa, in the valley. It is here in this fertile high desert where Roger Mix and his family are continuing a four-generation tradition of potato farming in Colorado. It all began with George Mix and a…  » Read more

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