Apr 13, 2016Industry Outreach Committee co-chairs elected
Karlene Hardy of Oakley, Idaho, was re-elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 17, at the organization’s 44th Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She will be serving her sixth year on the board as co-chairman of the newly formed Industry Outreach Committee. This will be her second year on its Executive Committee. In 2015, she served as co-chairman of the Research Committee. During 2014, she served as a member of the doard’s Administrative Committee and served on the International Marketing Committee.
Hardy has lived and worked in the potato industry for 45 years. At Hardy Farms, she and her husband, Randy, grow Russet Burbank potatoes for table-stock. Alfalfa, wheat, barley and corn are grown in rotation.
In her several years on the USPB’s International Marketing Committee, Hardy has participated in and helped host several Reverse Trade Missions targeting increasing usage of dehydrated potatoes in Food Aid Programs.
Her husband, Randy is a past USPB chairman and Executive Committee member, a past National Potato Council president and director, and is a commissioner on the Idaho Potato Commission.
Jay LaJoie of Van Buren, Maine, was also elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee. He will be serving his third year on the board as co-chairman of the new Industry Outreach Committee. This will be his first year on the Executive Committee. During 2014-2016, he served as a member of the board’s Administrative Committee and on the Industry Communications and Policy Committee, which was reorganized as the Industry Outreach Committee.
LaJoie grew up on a farm and started growing his own crops in 2003 on the LaJoie family farm. His is a fifth generation farm established in Cyr Plantation, Maine, in 1868. In 2007 he and his family formed LaJoie Growers of which he is a co-owner and farm business manager. At LaJoie Growers, russets, red, whites, yellows and blue potatoes are grown primarily for chip-stock, but also for frozen-processing, seed and table-stock. Beets are also produced for the fresh and chip market along with other miscellaneous vegetables and small grains.
LaJoie is a member of the Maine Potato Board, and serves on a seed breeding advisory committee. He was also a participant in the 2008 Potato Industry Leadership Institute. His past experience includes working for the USDA Farm Service Agency for two years in farm programs and loans. He is also a past president of the Central Aroostook Young Farmers organization.
