MPIC Winter Conference to feature popular potato content creator

Early bird registration for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission’s 2026 Winter Potato Conference runs through December.

The conference, set for Jan. 27-29 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will feature educational and breakout sessions on topics including soil health, varietal development, irrigation and pest management.

Among the scheduled speakers will be Tyler “Potato Ty” Heppell, who chronicles potato industry life for more than 810,000 followers on TikTok. Heppell, production manager of Heppell’s Potatoes in Surrey, British Columbia, is a fifth-generation member of the operation who returned to the family farm around five years ago after a post-college sales career.

Heppell’s day-in-the-life videos share the successes, challenges and concerns facing modern-day potato farmers.

Additional conference information and registration are available online.