Podcasts

Growing little potatoes, finding a niche market, and the joys of putting a crop in the ground

If you sit down and talk to many of our parents and grandparents, they will remember harvesting potatoes from the garden growing up, and getting rid of the small, undersized potatoes, says Kara Oosterhuis in this edition of The Successors podcast by RealAgriculture. Flash forward to 2014, and Little Lake Farms Ltd., based out of Burdett, Alberta in Canada, decided they were going to base their farming operation around the very thing that used to be considered not sufficient enough: little potatoes.

January 25, 2023

Podcast: ‘Making new plastic from potato starch’

In this Idaho Farm Bureau podcast, Steven Sherman, BioLogiQ’s CEO, shares details of BioLogiQ’s NuPlastiQ, a 100% natural material made from potato, corn and tapioca starches and naturally sourced glycerin, which, when processed, produces pellets that can be blended with existing plastics. These BioBlends help to create more sustainable plastic products.

January 22, 2023

Inflation heats up: Checking in with ag economics experts

With record-breaking inflation numbers coming out of the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, the National Potato Council’s Eye on Potatoes podcast checked in with University of Idaho Assistant Professors Pat Hatzenbuehler and Liang “Jimmy” Lu for an update on the economic environment, supply chain issues, and geopolitical challenges increasing production costs for members of the potato supply chain.

August 1, 2022

Potato Sustainability Alliance launches new podcast: ‘Resource Positive Agriculture’

In episode 1 of the Resource Positive Agriculture podcast host and Executive Director of the Potato Sustainability Alliance, John Mesko shares with us the meaning behind resource positive agriculture. “Resource positive agriculture describes what we all want, a food and farming system which makes full and responsible use of the natural world.”

April 24, 2022

Podcast: Potato breeding updates from the University of Guelph

Potatoes in Canada last spoke to Vanessa Currie, a potato breeding technician at the University of Guelph, at the 2021 Canadian Potato Summit, where she shared exciting new varieties being examined. In this episode of Tuber Talk, Potatoes in Canada guest host Dylan Sjolie catches up with Vanessa to recap the 2021 growing season and hear what’s new for the program in 2022.

March 9, 2022

Tuber Talk podcast: ‘An eye on the potato wart crisis’

In this episode of the Tuber Talk podcast, a Potatoes in Canada initiative, host Dylan Sjolie speaks to Ryan Barrett, research agronomy specialist for the Prince Edward Island Potato Board, who provides an update on the ongoing challenges and a glimpse at what’s next for Island potato growers.

February 25, 2022

SpudChat podcast: Research entomologist on management of wireworm, other potato pests

In this edition of the SpudChat podcast, Ryan Barrett with the Prince Edward Island Potato Board talks to Dr. Christine Noronha, a research entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Charlottetown. Christine is an expert on wireworm and has been doing a lot of work on wireworm research in cooperation with PEI potato growers for the last more than ten years.

February 23, 2022

Podcast: Knocking on the Mexican ‘fresh access door’, inflation forecasting with Univ. of Idaho ag economists

The National Potato Council (NPC) Eye on Potatoes podcast recently went online with two new episodes. During Potato Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California, the industry’s trade experts sat down to discuss efforts underway to knock down trade barriers in key countries such as Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and other promising markets. Inflation related questions were answered by experts at Potato Expo 2022 to help members of the potato industry mitigate increasing costs.

January 21, 2022

NPC CEO weighs in on soil sampling data and the spread of potato wart on PEI

Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council (NPC) calls in via the organization’s Eye on Potatoes podcast to discuss how CFIA’s own data – which is said to “demonstrate a clear and troubling reduction in sampling”, and how this leaves the industries on both sides of the border with uncertainties about the spread of the disease on PEI and what the future holds for reopening trade with this important industry partner.

December 14, 2021

New podcast launched: ‘Perfecting Potatoes Together’

Cedric Porter, editor of World Potato Markets, now hosts a new podcast on behalf of BASF in the UK – ‘Perfecting Potatoes Together’. In the first episode of the new podcast, Porter talks to Dr David Cooke, research leader at The James Hutton Institute, and Paul Goddard, BASF’s value chain and stewardship manager as they discuss late blight’s evolving population.

August 9, 2021

NPC CEO: ‘There’s work to do across all issue areas’

The National Potato Council met virtually for the summer meeting last week. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says there’s work to do across all issue areas including infrastructure, immigration reform and fresh potato market access with Mexico.

August 4, 2021

Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research: What next?

In this AHDB Food & Farming podcast episode, Jimmy Phillips interviews Rob Clayton, AHDB Sector Strategy Director for Potatoes, to discuss how the planned wind down and transition of AHDB Potatoes activities will impact potato storage research. The voting outcome of the recent ballot on the statutory levy in potatoes means that research activity at the centre will stop this autumn.

July 7, 2021

Eye on Potatoes podcast: US potato growers join the climate change fight

This week, Randy Russell, founder of The Russell Group, which manages the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance, joins the NPC Eye on Potatoes podcast to talk about how the FACA coalition got started and why it was so important that potato growers have taken a seat at the table. In May, the podcast was joined by Mark Klompien, President and CEO of United Potato Growers of America, who informed listeners about the fresh market outlook.

June 29, 2021

Leadership Institute Alumni Summit: ‘Good leaders never stop learning’

The Leadership Institute Alumni Summit, July 13-15, will bring together US Potato Industry Leadership Institute graduates to network, refresh skills, and learn new techniques to better position themselves for success in the potato industry. All past graduates of the Institute are invited to participate in the three 90-minute workshops that will be active, engaging, fast-paced, high energy and packed with tips to put to use immediately.

May 25, 2021

Potatoes USA: ‘Fresh potato consumers now also consistently buying frozen potatoes’

In the latest episode of Potato-cast, a Potatoes USA podcast, Natalia Cervantes, Potatoes USA Conversation Architect, is joined by her guest Kayla Dome, Potatoes USA Global Retail Marketing Manager. Kayla points out that fresh potatoes are still driving larger baskets at retail outlets. She says March 2021 was expected to decline in sales compared to 2020 but specifically online grocery sales saw a 43% increase in online sales compared to 2020, a $9.3 billion dollar sales increase for that online category.

May 12, 2021

Eye on Potatoes podcast: Mexico overturns ban on fresh U.S. potatoes

In this edition of the NPC hosted podcast: After years of delay, on April 28, Mexico’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled to overturn a lower court decision that prevented the Mexican federal government from implementing regulations to allow for the importation of fresh U.S. potatoes throughout the country. The ruling marks the end of a decade-long legal process.

April 30, 2021

Prince Edward Island Potato Board launches podcast: ‘Spudchat’

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is excited to share with potato farmers and industry partners the launch of a new podcast, Spudchat. This weekly podcast is hosted by Ryan Barrett, Research and Agronomy Specialist, and will feature conversations with a variety of farmers, researchers, agronomists, and industry partners.

April 27, 2021

Podcast: NPC Leadership Summit, Academic Scholarship, and political interference in Mexico

In this edition of the National Potato Council (NPC) podcast, Eye on Potatoes, ECOO Mike Wenkel calls in to talk about the upcoming Leadership Institute Alumni Summit, to be held July 13-15, which will virtually bring together graduates of the Potato Industry Leadership Institute to network, refresh skills, and learn new techniques to better position themselves for success in the potato industry. Plus, NPC CEO Kam Quarles joins the podcast for a trade policy discussion, including the ongoing standoff in Mexico’s Supreme Court.

April 20, 2021

Podcast: Colorado’s Strohauer Farms on adapting to challenging times

The challenging water situation in Northern Colorado in the early 21st century had Strohauer Farms looking to adapt. Today, the longtime potato growers not only grow conventional, but a wide range of organic and specialty potatoes. The father-daughter team of Harry and Amber Strohauer joins “The Potato Field” to share their farm’s evolution in the latest edition of the podcast series hosted by Spudman magazine.

March 25, 2021

UMaine Extension to host online presentations by potato specialists

University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host a one-hour Zoom meeting consisting of two presentations by potato specialists on Wednesday, February 24. Dr. Gary Secor, NDSU, will discuss how managing potato diseases can close the gap between what growers produce and what is possible to produce. Dr. Robert Larkin, UDSA-ARS, will give a presentation on Incorporating Disease-Suppressive Rotation Crops into Potato Cropping Systems.

February 21, 2021

PlanetPotato podcast: Time to look back, look forward and celebrate an unforgettable year

Potato-market expert Cedric Porter and his tuber-enamoured wife Anna Lambert present a cultural celebration of the potato in all its multi-faceted glory in their PlanetPotato podcast. In the 7th episode of the podcast, they say it’s time “to look back, look forward and celebrate the festive period the best we can” after a year that none us will forget and which has been tough for so many.

December 24, 2020

Potato Expo preview: Roy Spence and the Power of Purpose

Back by popular demand, Roy Spence is returning to Potato Expo. Roy is the co-founder & chairman of GSD&M, and co-founder & CEO of The Purpose Institute. He calls into this episode of the NPC hosted Eye of Potatoes podcast to give a preview of his session. Also, NPC CEO Kam Quarles provides insight into the new $900 billion COVID-19 relief package just announced by Congress.

December 22, 2020

Australia: Specialists explore effect of sanitisers and drying on post-harvest bacterial soft rot in potatoes

Management of rots, both in the field and post-harvest, is an ongoing challenge for potato producers around the world, also in Australia. The Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection (ICP) Partnership Network recently hosted a podcast during which two specialists from the US and Belgium discussed a trial that was set up in Australia to explore the effect of sanitisers and/or drying on the development of post-harvest bacterial soft rot in potatoes.

December 22, 2020

Disease-suppressive crops at work: The prevention and management of soilborne potato diseases

Disease-suppressive crops work in multiple ways: by not being a crop host to the disease, by actively lowering pathogen levels, and by boosting soil health so the overall growing environment is more resilient to disease. In a recent episode of Potatoes in Canada

December 17, 2020

Eye on Potatoes podcast: Potato Expo preview – The potato world post-COVID

Long-time senior vice president of the Food Marketing Institute and author, Michael Sansolo sits down with Eye on Potatoes to talk about some of the changes the pandemic brought about in 2020 and their potential lasting impacts for the food industry. Also: Kam Quarles, National Potato Council CEO, provides an update on the latest news coming out of D.C., including the nomination of former Secretary Tom Vilsack to return to USDA

December 15, 2020

Eye on Potatoes podcast: 2020 Election analysis and how the 2020 elections could impact the potato industry’s policy efforts

In this edition of NPC’s Eye on Potatoes podcast, leading agriculture political advisor Randy Russell of The Russell Group joins National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles and host Lane Nordlund for an in-depth discussion of the 2020 election results and how the potato industry will work with the new Congress and Biden Administration to advance its policy priorities. Additionally they discuss what the Lame Duck session might hold for growers and the rest of America.

December 7, 2020

The Potato Field podcast: Amanda and Braydon Wakasugi

In this edition of Spudman magazine’s new podcast series, Amanda and Braydon Wakasugi join Spudman editor Zeke Jennings to discuss their multi-farm San Acacio Seed potato partnership in Colorado

November 9, 2020

Yara podcast: ‘Changing the World Through Mineral Fertilizer’

Mineral fertilizers are the world’s most life-saving innovation. How this innovation has evolved since its invention? In this podcast, Yara’s Dr. Bill Easterwood, Director of Agronomic Services, Dr. Trey Cutts and Markus Braaten, Market Development Managers, join Scott Warr, Digital Farming Commercial Manager, to tell this amazing story – one that began with a dire problem and solved through collaboration between many individuals and companies.

October 27, 2020