McCain Foods has launched a podcast, “Hot Potato,” focusing on regenerative agriculture and its role in tackling climate change and reshaping the food industry. The series aims to clarify sustainable farming’s complexities and highlight its importance in addressing climate-related challenges. Max Koeune, CEO of McCain Foods, praised the initiative and its diverse guests. The inaugural episode, “Can we farm without harm?”, discusses the impact of industrial agriculture on climate, biodiversity, and soil health, emphasizing the need for sustainable farming methods.
Podcasts
Eye on Potatoes podcast: Defending potatoes in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans process
The “Eye on Potatoes” podcast discussed the upcoming 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The U.S. potato industry aims to ensure accurate potato nutrition information is considered in the guidelines. NPC CEO Kam Quarles provided testimony to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The podcast also featured Beth Johnson, a food policy expert with over 25 years of experience, who has been working with NPC to promote the benefits of potatoes.
PEI potato wart threat and policy updates: NPC tackles agricultural challenges in latest podcast episode
In a recent “Eye on Potatoes” podcast episode, the National Potato Council (NPC) discussed pressing agricultural topics during Congress’s August recess. Key points included potential amendments to the FY24 Ag Appropriations Bill, efforts towards a new five-year Farm Bill, and concerns about the spread of potato wart from Canada’s Prince Edward Island.
Restrain’s new podcast series to offer valuable storage information for potato growers around the world
Restrain company has launched a new podcast series aimed at potato growers and storage managers. The series offers insights on ethylene storage, the Accumulator program, and ripening processes. Restrain, known for using ethylene gas to suppress sprouting in potatoes and onions, is expanding to the US and Canada. The first episode features a discussion on the benefits of Restrain’s unique Accumulator seed treatment for potato storage programs.
Paradigm shift: ‘Sustainability does not mean sacrifice, it can mean a better life’
The University of Surrey’s Institute for Sustainability, launched in 2022, aims to maximize the positive impact of academic research in sustainability. By exploring topics such as green living and net-zero energy, the interdisciplinary institute seeks to contribute to a future where people’s lives are both sustainable and fulfilling. In a Food Matters Live podcast featuring Professor Lorenzo Fioramonti, the institute’s Founding Director, emphasizes that sustainability is not a sacrifice but a means to achieve a better life.
The complex relationship between soil health and potatoes: Unpacking the Potato Soil Health Project
On Potato-Cast, Carl Rosen, Head of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota, discusses the Potato Soil Health Project. The initiative, ongoing since 2018, explores the intricate relationship between soil health and potato growth, with particular attention to microbial life. Despite fumigation practices that control diseases but harm beneficial microbes, the project aims to promote practices reducing soil-borne diseases without overreliance on fumigation.
‘View from the Top’: A conversation with National Potato Council presidents
During Potato Expo 2023, the Eye on Potatoes podcast brought together the National Potato Council’s current, incoming, and immediate past presidents for a live recording where they offered their unique perspectives on the U.S. potato industry, the importance of grower leadership, and having strong associations at the state and national level. Guests included Jared Balcom, Dominic LaJoie, and RJ Andrus.
‘The secrets within’: How the potato is reshaping the food industry
The potato, a globally prevalent food staple, plays a pivotal role in the food industry and holds untapped potential. As the interest in plant-based products grows, the potato, rich in protein and fiber, proves increasingly valuable. This Food Matters Live podcast, partnering with Royal Avebe, investigates the potato’s journey and its potential contributions to the modern food industry.
U.S. potato industry leaders converge for a candid conversation on ‘Eye on Potatoes’ podcast
At Potato Expo 2023, leading U.S. potato industry CEOs participated in a live Eye on Potatoes podcast recording, discussing current and future opportunities for the sector. Alison Bodor, Kam Quarles, and Blair Richardson emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships and working collaboratively to improve the potato industry.
Potato Sustainability Alliance podcast: Digital innovations in sustainable potato farming
The Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA) and Syngenta collaborate to streamline data collection and provide valuable feedback to potato growers on sustainability. Both organizations aim to make sustainability accessible for farmers and the entire value chain through digital tools like Syngenta’s Cropwise Sustainability app. The app helps growers evaluate their sustainability efforts, compare their performance with peers, and identify areas for improvement. The PSA plans to implement the Cropwise Sustainability app by fall 2023.
The fight for family farms: Washington State farmers confront regulatory hurdles, an uncertain future
Washington state family farmers, like seed potato grower Scott Bedlington, are concerned about government overreach and inadequate outreach in recent legislation. They feel that increasing regulations and costs favor corporate farms over family-owned operations. The proposed Buffer bill could further threaten family farms by requiring buffer zones around waterways, potentially taking away significant portions of their usable farmland.
‘Potato, could this be the future of plant-based meat?’ Royal Avebe talks potatoes on the Food Matters Live Podcast
Royal Avebe is partnering with Food Matters Live in a series of new podcast episodes about the amazing history, versatility, and untapped potential of the humble potato. The company says in a recent news release: “The potato plays a huge role in the global food industry and has been a core ingredient in many of our diets for centuries, but there’s a lot more to the potato than at first meets the eye…”
Tuber Talk: What’s in store for Canadian potato growers in 2023?
The past couple of years have been mostly good for Canadian potato growers, so how is 2023 shaping up? In this episode of the Tuber Talk podcast, Potatoes in Canada editor Derek Clouthier chats with Victoria Stamper, general manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada, about her insights into the market and demand for the coming growing season, and some thoughts on what she sees for growers across the country in 2023.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.