Potato Expo 2015

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February 2015

Country

Potato Expo 2015 NPC News

POTATO COUNTRY 6777 NE Vinings Way #1324, Hillsboro, OR 97124

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Table of Contents

Columbia Publishing 6777 NE Vinings Way #1324 Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 Phone: (509) 248-2452

February 2015 10 Potato Expo 2015

Editorial Board

Chris Wallace Keynotes Potato Expo

14 Potato Expo 2015

Washington State Potato Commission

Speakers Cover All the Hot Topics

Chris Voigt Executive Director

(509) 765-8845

18 National Potato Council

NPC Selects Leaders, Sets Priorities

Oregon Potato Commission

23 Potato Expo 2015

(503) 239-4763

Understanding the West Coast Port Slowdown

24 Bruce Ford Farms

Bill Brewer Executive Director

Insect Identification Quiz: Andy Jensen, Ph.D., regional research director, Washington, Idaho and Oregon potato commissions. Disease Identification Quiz: Dr. Jeff Miller, plant pathologist and president and CEO of Miller Research, Rupert, Idaho.

Quest for Quality

Potato Country Contacts

27 National Potato Council

Denise Keller ....................... [email protected]

The Magnificent Seven: NPC Past Presidents Honored for WIC Accomplishment

Editor

J. Mike Stoker [email protected] Publisher / Advertising Manager

Patricia Zundel .................. [email protected] Advertising Sales

Jeraleh Kastner ................. [email protected] Production / Circulation Manager

D. Brent Clement [email protected] SunRain Varieties LLC shows off some available cultivars at the Potato Expo 2015 trade show. See story on page 14.

Departments 7 Calendar 7 In the News 8 Insect Quiz

On The Cover

12 PGW

Gwen and Bruce Ford farm 650 acres of spuds in Umatilla, Oregon, for the early potato processing market.

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February 2015

22 Disease Quiz 28 Market Report

Consultant

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Potato Country is interested in newsworthy material related to potato production and marketing. Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: [email protected]. ADVERTISING SALES For information about advertising rates, mechanics, deadlines, copy submission, mailing, contract conditions and other information, call Mike Stoker at (509) 949-1620 or email [email protected]. Or call Patricia Zundel at (208) 201-8781 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION U.S........................ 1 year, $18.00; 2 years $31.00, 3 years, $41.00. Canada ................. 1 year, $30.00; 2 years $49.00; 3 years 68.00. Foreign ................. 1 year, $45.00; 2 years $85.00; 3 years $121.00. Payments accepted by check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Subscriptions can be entered online at www.potatocountry.com. Email address changes/corrections to [email protected] or send to Potato Country, 6777 NE Vinings Way #1324, Hillsboro, OR 97124. Potato Country magazine (ISSN 0886-4780), is published nine times per year, mailed under permit No. 410, paid at San Dimas, CA. It is produced by Columbia Publishing, 6777 NE Vinings Way #1324, Hillsboro, OR 97124. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Publishing. For information on reprints call (509) 949-1620. CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Send to: Potato Country, 6777 NE Vinings Way #1324, Hillsboro, OR 97124

Calendar Feb. 10-12 Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference and Trade Show, Ski Hi Park, Monte Vista, Colo. Contact Jim Ehrlich, (719) 852-3322.

Feb. 19–26 Potato Industry Leadership Institute, Washington and Washington, D.C. Contact Marie Ruff, marier@nationalpotatocouncil. org.

Feb. 23-26 NPC Potato D.C. Fly-In, Mayflower Hotel, Washington D.C. Contact Hollee Alexander, hollee@ nationalpotatocouncil.org.

Mar. 3-5 Biocontrols Conference & Tradeshow, Fresno Convention Center, Fresno, Calif. Visit www. biocontrolsconference.com.

Mar. 9-12 United States Potato Board Annual Meeting, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo. Contact Robin Angelo, rangelo@uspotatoes. com.

April 15-17 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, Montreal, QC. Visit http://convention.cpma.ca.

July 28–30 9th International World Potato Congress, Yanqing County, Beijing City, China. Visit www.2015bjwpc. com/potato_en/index.php.

Editor’s Note: To have your event listed, please email the editor, Denise Keller, at dkeller@ columbiapublications.com. Please send your information 90 days in advance.

In the News: People and Products

USPB Issues PotatoFriendly Salad Bar Challenge The United States Potato Board (USPB) is challenging the potato industry to install 3,000 potato-friendly salad bars in school lunch programs across the United States over the next five years. The USPB is hoping for donations of 300 salad/potato bars per year for five years. For each of those 1,500 salad/potato bars donated by growers or others vested in the U.S. potato industry, the USPB will match the donation, bringing the total to 3,000 potatofriendly salad bars installed by 2020. The USPB will also work with the schools to deliver a nonstop stream of potato serving ideas, recipes and themes such as a Mexican themed potato bar for Cinco de Mayo or red, white and blue potato salad for President’s Day. Each year, more than 5 billion school lunches are served to the 55 million children attending elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. If those students eat potatoes one more time per week, 3,750,000 cwt more potatoes will be served each year, according to a statement from the USPB. Visit www.uspotatoes.com/saladbars.

Mexican Trucks Granted Permanent U.S. Entry A U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) decision has given the green light to Mexican trucking companies to transport goods between the U.S. and Mexico. This ends the threat of resumed tariffs and relieves pressure of a U.S. truck driver shortage. The question of Mexican truckers operating in the U.S. has long been a point of contention. In 2001, a panel ruled that the U.S. was not complying with North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) rules and permitted Mexico to retaliate. When a pilot program to allow Mexican truckers on the roads was halted in 2009 after Congress pulled funding, Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs on 90 U.S. products. This included a 20 percent tariff on frozen potato products. U.S. frozen potato exports dropped by 47

percent, and then rebounded slightly when the tariff was reduced to five percent in 2010. A new pilot program began in 2011. The recent DOT decision gives Mexican trucks permanent entry to the U.S. to haul goods both ways. U.S. frozen potato exports to Mexico are now $100 million annually and growing, according to the Washington State Potato Commission.

FAA Permits Drone Use for Crop Scouting The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a permit to use drones to monitor crops, marking the first time permission has been granted to a company involved in agriculture. The exemption to the current ban on commercial drone flights was granted to Advanced Aviation Solutions in Star, Idaho, for “crop scouting.”   The company plans to use its 1.5-pound, fixed-wing eBee drone to make photographic measurements of farm fields, determine the health of crops and look for pests. The aim is to save farmers time walking through fields. The drone also can carry sensors that pick up information invisible to the naked eye, spotting potential problem spots early. The permit has a number of limitations, however, including the requirement of both a ground “pilot” and an observer, and a requirement that the drone remains within the operator’s line of sight. The FAA has granted exemptions to a handful of additional companies in other industries and has requests from hundreds more. The agency is under pressure to provide broader access to U.S. skies. The FAA had been expected to release regulations for drones by the end of 2014.

Funding Opportunities Available from USDA

The Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), administered by USDA Rural Development, helps finance the cost of renewable energy systems and energy effi(continued on page 30) February

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Insect Biology Quiz Dr. Andy Jensen

Potato Virus Y (PVY) is one of the hottest topics in potato pest management. This virus is transmitted by aphids in the field. Test your knowledge with these True or False questions about PVY and its aphid vectors. 1. True or False: Green peach aphid does not transmit PVY. 2. True or False: Only adult wingless aphids can transmit PVY. 3. True or False: Aphids can pick up virus and then spread it, but quickly lose all virus when feeding on healthy plants. 4. True or False: Seed treatment insecticides will stop PVY transmission throughout the season.

This material is provided courtesy of Andy Jensen, Ph.D., Regional Research Director for the Idaho, Washington and Oregon Potato Commissions. He can be contacted at: (509) 760-4859 or [email protected]

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ANSWERS, Page 30

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Potato Expo 2015

Chris Wallace Keynotes Potato Expo By Denise Keller, Editor

L

ike a late-night talk show host, Chris Wallace warmed up the crowd with a steady stream of jokes about politics and presidents. Neither political party was protected from the crosshairs of humor as Wallace poked fun at the likes of former President George W. Bush, 2008 Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and, of course, President Barack Obama. “There was an electrical problem in Washington D.C. the other day.

Several government buildings were left without power. Of course, the White House will be without power for the next two years,” Wallace joked during his keynote address at Potato Expo 2015, held Jan. 7-9 in Orlando, Florida. As a veteran journalist and host of Fox News Sunday, Wallace spoke about the new reality in our nation’s capital with the balance of power shifting after the big Republican victory in November, and the prospect

of anything getting done in the next two years with a split government.

“Obama Unbound” After enjoying a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate for his first two years in office, Obama has been “deeply frustrated” since Democrats lost the House in the 2010 midterm, according to Wallace. Now with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, the president is

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February 2015

“doing everything he can to fend off lame duck status.” “With his last election behind him, he has decided to pursue as many legacy items as he can by taking a very aggressive view of his executive authority,” Wallace said. “Since his last election, we have seen a different president: ‘Obama Unbound,’ stretching his view of his power – some would say – to the breaking point.” Among the executive actions taken by the president since November, Wallace listed a climate deal signed with China to limit carbon emissions, the controversial deferred deportation of close to 5 million people in the country illegally and resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba resulting from more than a year of secret negotiations.

Probability of Productivity Given the various complexities of the situation in Washington, conventional wisdom might say that

there will be more gridlock than ever during Obama’s final two years in office and that nothing will get done, Wallace said. “I may be a hopeless idealist, but I think that conventional wisdom may be wrong,” he stated. “While there will continue to be sharp divisions and plenty of political theater in a divided Washington with a Democratic president and a Republican Congress, both sides will have more incentives to show that they can actually govern.” Wallace pointed out that with Republicans in control of the House and Senate, they no longer have a scapegoat when legislation stalls. Furthermore, this is their chance to show voters that the party can handle the keys to the White House and Congress in 2016. Obama is also going to want to make his last two years count, and therefore may look for areas of agreement with Republicans. History shows this is likely to

happen, Wallace said. Looking back at the last 21 Congresses – or back to the early 1970s – split governments, like we have now with a president of one party and Congress held by another party, have been more productive than unified governments, in which one party controls both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. On the other hand, split Congresses, in which one house is in the hands of the Republicans and the other in the hands of the Democrats as has been the case the last four years, have been the least productive. Wallace suggested that the two parties may be able to compromise in the areas of corporate tax reform and giving the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade deals. He added that we may even see some bipartisan cooperation on immigration reform. Before leaving the stage, Wallace assured his audience “I will tell my wife, Lorraine, ‘There have to be potatoes on the plate tonight.’”

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Potato Growers of Washington

Look Again at How Much You Can Improve Potato Quality – Your Future Depends Upon Your Efforts

By Dale Lathim Potato Growers of Washington

B

y the time you read this, the worker slowdown at our West Coast ports hopefully will have been resolved and shipping will return to normal. As we are so closely tied to the ports for our export sales, the Columbia Basin frozen potato industry has been especially hard hit by the labor dispute. While processors and many of our export customers have been proactive and creative in finding ways to keep the supply of frozen potato products arriving in the Pacific Rim, U.S. processors and their growers will miss a golden opportunity to increase our market share with new and improved production capabilities coming online this year. Not only will we miss the growth opportunity, we will most likely see erosion in our market share in much of Asia. U.S. frozen potato products have remained the preferred choice of most of the major restaurant chains in that region. That is due to our high quality and what has been a very reliable supply chain. Now that that chain has proven to be no longer foolproof and with our higher costs compared to European frozen potato products, we can only hang our hats on the high quality moniker. 12

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Our processor sales teams have their hands full as they combat this situation and look to regain the ground they are sure to lose this year. The best (and only) way growers can help them is to concentrate even more than ever on producing high quality potatoes. I know that all who have managed to survive continued consolidation in the growing community are quality growers. And I can hear the phone calls now from some of you when you read this article: “We are already doing all that we can to grow quality potatoes. What more can we do?” While basically true, I am sure that we have all seen professional athletes performing at a very high level who somehow manage to discover that they can perform at an even superior level, thus continuing to cross the finish line ahead of the competition. That is what I am asking you to do. Take a real hard look at your operation and see if there are not one or two things that you can tweak and manage to produce an even superior product - extra effort to boost your number of payables or bump up your percentage of 6-ounce potatoes, for example. Over the past decade, we have seen how demanding our export customers have become, continually lowering

their tolerances for even the slightest defects. That will only increase as our processors try to regain market share. Besides helping your processors with their sales, any improvements in your product quality will help you recover some of the revenue that many of you lost on the 2014 crop because of lower yields and quality. Granted, that happened because of conditions beyond your control, but with the contract being rolled over for 2015, if you were to return this year to normal or slightly above normal yields with above average quality, many of you could see 15 to 20 percent higher revenue than you experienced this past year. So whether you want to look at it from your own perspective or beyond your operation to the global frozen potato industry, 2015 is the year that quality potatoes are going to be needed more than ever. If there is a piece of equipment that you have been putting off purchasing or a new product that you have wanted to try, I would encourage you, like superior athletes, to continue striving to become even greater at what you do. Be a consistent producer of potatoes that are well recognized as the best that can be found anywhere.

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Potato Expo 2015

Mark Lynas reacts to a question from the audience at the conclusion of his presentation about genetically modified crops.

Speakers Cover All the Hot Topics Story and photos by Denise Keller, Editor

Marketing expert Kelly McDonald shares statistics and strategies for marketing to people not like you.

Rob Davis, Potato Expo 2015 Steering Committee co-chairman, speaks about the success of the Potato Expo.

Potato Expo 2015 Steering Committee Co-Chairman Randy Mullen introduces the next speaker.

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M

ark Lynas made a name for himself in the U.K. as an early member of the anti-GMO movement back in the mid-1990s. In the dark of night, he and other environmental activists repeatedly vandalized field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops, ripping up plants row by row. Today, Lynas speaks about the benefits of the technology he had been so dedicated to derailing. His tale of transformation from anti-GMO activist to advocate captivated attendees of Potato Expo 2015, held Jan. 7-9 in Orlando, Florida. Lynas delivered his presentation, “GMOs are Green: How an Environmentalist Changed His Mind about Biotechnology,” during a breakfast session sponsored by Innate. Lynas explained that his conversion came about when the scientific consensus conflicted with his stance on the issue. The environmentalist found himself supporting his views on climate change with statements from a scientific authority that had also vouched for the safety of GMO foods. “That put me in a very difficult position,” Lynas recounted. “How could I use this statement to convince people that climate change is real, and at the same time ignore that statement [that GMOs are safe]? Is that an inconsistent position? Likely.”

In early 2013, Lynas publicly apologized for destroying experimental crops and assisting in “demonizing an important technological option, which can and should be used to benefit the environment.” His apology was met with a great deal of backlash from his former cohorts and the media. In time, the GMO debate in the U.K. became “a much more science-based discussion,” and public opinion began to swing in favor of biotechnology, Lynas reported. That is not the case elsewhere in the world, he added, sharing several examples of developing countries in which biotechnology is blocked despite its potential to help farmers combat pests or diseases threatening their crops. “That has had an emotional impact on me. I saw children who were malnourished, and if GM crops were allowed in those countries, they would be able to eat properly,” he related. In responding to questions from the audience, Lynas mentioned the organic movement and said people buy organic because it gives them a good feeling. Similarly, “we need to get to a situation where consumers feel empowered to choose crops which may be genetically modified because it’s seen as a more environmental choice or it’s seen as a healthy choice.”

He went on to briefly mention the J.R. Simplot Company’s Innate potatoes, which are genetically modified to reduce the production of acrylamide by up to 70 percent compared to conventional potatoes. “In Innate, the [reduced] acrylamide trait is a consumer trait,” Lynas said. “This isn’t necessarily something that people will actively seek out, but it’s something of which you might want to identify the presence in the product.” As for gaining acceptance from environmentalists, Lynas said GM crop production can increase the productivity of land, water and other inputs. While these issues are important to people on both sides of the biotech debate, communication of this message has fallen short. “How has the industry managed to fail in communicating to people that biotech traits have reduced the use of insecticides?” he asked. “How has one of the best environmental news stories turned around to be a complete PR disaster?” Lynas suggested that the farming and scientific communities become more effective in communicating information about GMO technology, starting within their own peer groups. “I think, ultimately, people will come down on the right side of this debate,” Lynas concluded. “By the way, most of the market research on this shows that there is a very large undecided camp in the middle. Almost nobody will say, ‘I actively seek out GM crops,’ but also not that many people say, ‘I think GM crops are poisonous.’ A lot of people think the experts are arguing, but that’s not true. Experts actually agree. It’s the crazies that are arguing with the experts.”

Marketing to People Not Like You

In another presentation, multicultural marketing and business trends expert Kelly McDonald immediately grabbed the attention of her audience. “‘America is a melting pot.’ We’ve all heard that. I’m here to tell you that America is not a melting pot,” McDonald said. “We’re a salad bowl.” Gone are the days of throwing immigrants into the hypothetical melting pot to simmer away their differences, she said. Instead, we now retain and recognize people’s differences.

A crowd gathered to listen to a lively presentation from Jim Carroll, an agricultural futurist, trends and innovation expert.

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Potato Expo attendees pose for pictures in the photo booth set up at the Hootenanny Hangout, a bayouthemed dinner event.

McDonald shared statistics illustrating how racially diverse the U.S. population is becoming. According to the 2010 census, one in three people in the U.S. is not white.

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As well, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas and Washington D.C. have a “minority majority population,” meaning that minority groups are collectively larger than

The Potato Expo trade show included more than 150 exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions for the potato industry.

the white population. Furthermore, the majority of the child population is nonwhite in every major market in the U.S., and rural areas are more diverse than ever. McDonald

said whites will be the minority by 2041. McDonald also reminded the audience that diversity comes in many forms, defining diversity as “any way you can be different than me,” whether that is age, gender, life stage or something else. To market and sell to people not like you, McDonald outlined the following eight strategies: Be relevant. Identify what people want and give it to them – albeit easier said than done. Use consumer insights. Use available resources to better understand different customer groups. Recognize different needs. Know what customers need and how they like to receive it. Tap into values. People spend money on what they care about. Millennials value locally grown food, and Hispanics equate fresh food with good parenting – two pieces of good news for the potato industry, McDonald said. Be the good guys. Market your social consciousness and community involvement. Be culturally relevant. Demonstrate cultural awareness and diversity in your marketing. Pay attention to trends. Create marketing that is interactive and contains contemporary imagery. Helping beats selling. Give advice rather than information, and show customers how products fit in their life.

Representatives from the J.R. Simplot Company answer questions about the company’s Innate potatoes.

Successful Potato Expo Another successful Potato Expo is in the books with attendance totaling about 1,800. Attendees browsed the 150 or so exhibitors’ booths in the trade show and enjoyed an information-packed agenda. Rob Davis, Potato Expo 2015 Steering Committee co-chairman, addressed the group at the Expo’s opening session, “In the next two and a half days, everyone here will exchange ideas with more industry folks than you could possibly do over many months back home. I’m proud to see how successful the Potato Expo has

become.” The event included a keynote address from Chris Wallace, veteran journalist and host of Fox News Sunday. Wallace shared an insider’s look at politics, the White House and the future of America. (See story on page 10.) Other presentations covered potato export opportunities, biopesticides, the future of truck transportation, and what agriculture will look like in 2045. Attendees also had their choice of breakout sessions from each segment of the industry. Potato Expo 2016 is scheduled for Jan. 12-14 at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

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National Potato Council

NPC Selects Leaders, Sets Priorities By Denise Keller, Editor

Randy Hardy, 2014 NPC president, (left) passes the gavel to Dan Lake, 2015 NPC president. Photo courtesy NPC

A

fter taking the ceremonial gavel from outgoing National Potato Council (NPC) president Randy Hardy, Dan Lake thanked the organization for putting trust in him as the NPC president for 2015 and highlighted 18

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key issues for the upcoming year. Lake, a seed grower from Montana, was elected to serve as president during the NPC’s 2015 Annual Meeting, held Jan. 9-10 in Orlando, Florida. In accepting his position, Lake shared his goals

and noted the positive impact of previous NPC presidents. “I want to continue to build on the momentum that NPC has already achieved by staying active and focused on the issues that impact the potato industry the

greatest. Ensuring positive results in all aspects of our industry is why I’m excited to be here to lend my voice and leadership,” Lake said. “Our message has room to grow and we will continue our grassroots efforts that NPC is based on by reaching out to all potato growing states equally regardless of production volume.” Lake is an owner and partner of Lake Seed, Inc. in Ronan, Montana, where he farms with his three brothers, David, Pat and Tim. The Lake family farm was started in Ronan 79 years ago by his grandfather Acel, an Idaho transplant, who later turned the farm over to Lake’s parents, Don and Bernadine. Lake and his wife, Jan, have four grown children and two grandchildren. Lake has been involved with the NPC since 2005 and has served on several of the organization’s various committees. Lake says the NPC does phenomenal work, citing the preservation of potato servings in the school lunch program and the return of fresh white potatoes to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program as examples. During Lake’s year at the helm, it is his personal goal to raise awareness among growers of what the NPC is doing for them behind the scenes. He is encouraging others to join him at the NPC Potato D.C. Fly-In Feb. 23-26.

Pictured is the NPC 2015 Executive Committee. Back, from left to right: Larry Alsum, Randy Hardy, Dan Lake, Jim Tiede. Front, from left to right: Dominic LaJoie, Cully Easterday, Dwayne Weyers. Photo courtesy NPC

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Randy Hardy (left) presents the NPC Industry Award to Matt Lantz, vice president of global access at Bryant Christie, Inc., for his efforts to expand exports of U.S. seed, fresh and frozen processed potatoes. Photo courtesy NPC

the federal weight limit for trucks. NIFA funding: The NPC will work to resolve issues related to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program funding that has historically funded potato research and breeding programs. Pollinator reform: The NPC is asking farmers and other stakeholders to let federal lawmakers know that neonicotinoids are valuable to the industry and safe to use despite activists’ claims that the pesticides are killing honeybees. Immigration reform: The NPC will support congressional efforts to reform the nation’s immigration laws and H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program to ensure a stable, legal agricultural workforce now and in the future.  WOTUS: The NPC is seeking clarification on the boundaries that would apply under Waters of the United States (WOTUS), a proposed federal regulation that may restrict farmers from treating fields adjacent to water and wetlands. Trade: The NPC is looking for support from growers and lawmakers to rally against scientifically unjustified phytosanitary restrictions imposed in Asian markets, and is also working to gain trade access to Mexico.

Executive Committee

Randy Hardy (left) presents the 2014 Environmental Stewardship Award to Brendon Rockey and Sheldon Rockey with wife Nicole, of Rockey Farms in Center, Colo., for their achievement in reducing the risk of pesticides without compromising potato yield and quality. Photo courtesy NPC

“The more growers that are informed and engaged, the stronger we can become. We need that strength all across the country when we take an issue into the legislature,” he urged. 20

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February 2015

Important Issues Looking at the year ahead, the NPC has a number of important issues to tackle including: Truck weight limits: The NPC plans to continue efforts to increase

NPC’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors are comprised of U.S. potato growers nominated by their state organizations and elected by their peers. In addition to Lake, the NPC 2015 Executive Committee includes Jim Tiede, American Falls, Idaho, first vice president, Legislative and Government Affairs; Cully Easterday, Pasco, Washington, vice

president, Trade Affairs; Dwayne Weyers, Center, Colorado, vice president, Grower and Public Relations; Larry Alsum, Freisland, Wisconsin, vice president, Finance and Office Procedures; Dominic LaJoie, Van Buren, Maine, vice president, Environmental Affairs; and Randy Hardy, Oakley, Idaho, immediate past president.

Award Recipients

The NPC honored several individuals during the awards banquet. The Environmental Stewardship Award was presented to Brendon and Sheldon Rockey of Rockey Farms in Center, Colorado. “Rockey Farms is the model example of a family farm that has demonstrated its commitment to stewardship of its land and protection of our shared environment,” praised John Keeling, NPC executive vice president and CEO. “By being good stewards of the land, they preserve their farms and the rural landscape for generations to come, while producing high-quality potatoes.” Andy Robinson, an assistant professor and Extension agronomist in potato production at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, was chosen for Spudman’s Emerging

Randy Hardy, NPC 2014 president, (left) and Tom Karst, The Packer national editor, (right) present the 2014 Potato Man for All Seasons award to Richard “Dick” Pavelski of Heartland Farms Inc. in Hancock, Wisc. Photo courtesy NPC

Leader Award. The NPC recognized the late Dr. Christian Thill, who was a potato breeder, plant geneticist and professor at the University of Minnesota, as the winner of this year’s Meritorious Service Award. Corrie and Tom Enander of Enander Seed Farm in Grenora, North Dakota, were the recipients of the Seed Grower of the Year Award. The Industry Award went home with Matt Lantz, vice president of

global access at Bryant Christie, Inc., for his efforts to expand exports of U.S. seed, fresh and frozen processed potatoes. Richard “Dick” Pavelski of Heartland Farms Inc. in Hancock, Wisconsin, was named the 2014 Potato Man for All Seasons, awarded by The Packer, in honor of a lifetime of contributions to the industry. The 2015 NPC Summer Meeting is scheduled for July 8-10 in Kalispell, Montana.

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Know Your Potato Diseases

Disease Identification Quiz Dr. Jeff Miller

The Disease Quiz in the September 2014 issue focused on various tuber decays. We are revisiting tuber decay in this issue. Can you tell what has caused the problems in the photos below? Photo A: These tubers appear wet in places on the skin, but the tuber feels solid. When you peel away some of the affected skin, you see a copper-brown decay. It does not extend very deep into the tuber, and there is no sign of soft rot (yet!). What is causing this decay?

A.

B. Photos B and C: This tuber also feels solid. The surface is bumpy, but the skin does not look discolored. When you make a shallow peel of the skin, you see some small, brown spots. These spots are clustered around the bumps and don’t go very deep into the tuber. What has caused this?

Photo D: The tuber in photo D was wounded during harvest. A portion of the tuber appeared wet and wrinkled. This is what you saw when you sliced the tuber open. The decaying area was soft, but water did not come out when pressure was applied to the tuber. Also, the affected area did not change color after being left on the counter for 20 minutes. After incubating a slice of the tuber in a moist environment overnight, small, gray fuzz was growing over the cut surface. What is causing this decay?

C.

D.

Dr. Jeff Miller, a plant pathologist, is the president and CEO of Miller Research, Rupert, Idaho. He can be contacted by phone: (208) 5315124; cell: (208) 431-4420; email: [email protected]

22

Potato Country

February 2015

ANSWERS, PAGE 30

Potato Expo 2015

Understanding the West Coast Port Slowdown By Barry Horowitz, CMS Consulting Services, LLC, Portland, Oregon

A

t Potato Expo 2015, held Jan. 7-9, I gave a presentation summarizing the importance of exports to the overall U.S. economy, and then drilled down to the role of America’s agricultural exports and the position of potato exports within this wider context. While only a small portion of the overall volume, the approximately 1.5 billion pounds of exported potatoes require an estimated 170,000 twentyfoot equivalent units (TEUs), or 20-foot ocean containers, in order to be transported to foreign buyers. In order for these potatoes to reach international customers in good condition, efficient and economical shipping services are an essential part of the trade network. Since the end of June 2014, this international network, at least at U.S. West Coast ports, has been anything but efficient. In fact, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the union with virtually monopoly control of waterfront work at West Coast ports, has been working without a contract since the previous six-year agreement expired on June 30, 2014. The unresolved issues between the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the group representing the employers, have scarcely progressed since last summer. The issues are many and varied and include such things as: Jurisdiction: What work belongs to the ILWU and what can be performed by others is a sticking point. Safety: Working on the docks can be dangerous, and the ILWU places much focus on this issue. Automation: With the advent of modern informational technology and ever larger ocean vessels, the number of dock workers required to perform the work has been greatly reduced, which is a serious issue for the union. Wages: While ILWU workers are already paid significantly more than the average American worker, wage rates are a perennial issue. Healthcare: ILWU workers have superior healthcare benefits – so good, in fact, that these benefits will fall into the Affordable Care Act’s (also known as “Obamacare”) so-called “luxury tax” provision. Industry experts calculate that this could result in the ILWU having an obligation of something like $150 million per year. The union objects to this and insists that the employers should be obligated to pay the “tax.” The PMA disagrees. There are other issues, as well, most falling within one or another of the five main categories noted above. Because the negotiations have more or less proceeded in private sessions beginning in early 2014 and in the months since the contract expired, we don’t really know much about the status. In early January 2015 a federal mediator was appointed and accepted by both parties. This is seemingly helpful, but will not add any

transparency to the process. So where do we stand now? If you’re a shipper – of potatoes for export, imported footwear or any of America’s traded commodities – you are on hold and have to accept the reality of a relatively small number of workers having enormous power over the free flow of the 15 percent or so of America’s gross domestic product that passes through the country’s West Coast ports. This is no small power: over the course of a year, that 15 percent represents something like $2.5 trillion worth of imports and exports. Not a good situation. Stay tuned… Editor’s note: Barry Horowitz delivered his presentation, “Turning Spuds into Dollars – Transportation of U.S. Potato Exports,” during a break-out session at Potato Expo 2015. He can be reached at [email protected].

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Bruce Ford Farms

Quest for Quality Story and photos by Denise Keller, Editor

Gwen and Bruce Ford list 2014 among the years in which they hit the benchmarks for “Mac fry” quality potatoes.

24

Potato Country

February 2015

B

ruce Ford sets the bar high for potato production on his Umatilla, Oregon farm. “Our potatoes for Simplot are what the industry calls a Mac fry. That’s the top of the line in the industry,” Ford smiles. “Mac meaning McDonald’s,” his wife Gwen quickly adds. “McDonald’s has very high standards for French fries.” Each season, Ford sets his sights on meeting those “Mac fry” standards. And through the years, the lifelong farmer has refined his practices to the point that most years he achieves his goal.

Learning the Lay of the Land

About 650 of the 1,900 acres farmed by Ford are planted in Shepody, Ranger Russet and an occasional circle of Alturas; wheat and corn account for the remaining acreage. Ford started farming with his dad and brothers in Jerome, Idaho, where they grew sugar beets, dry beans, hay and wheat. Potatoes were added to the rotation in 1976. “I loved potatoes from day one,” the grower recalls. Like her husband, Gwen also grew up on a family farm. Her dad, Neal Perkins, and her brother Curt own N&C Farms. In the late 1970s, N&C Farms relocated from southern Idaho to the Hermiston, Oregon area. After a few years, Ford saw the area as a better place to grow potatoes, and he and Gwen began farming there with her family in 1982 before starting their own farm with a 62-acre half-circle in 1986. “The Columbia Basin is just an amazing area. We have the water, fertilizer, ground and climate. We can compete with just about any place in the world to raise potatoes,” the grower observes. “It’s just a good place to farm, none better.”

Ford remembers having to “relearn farming” to some extent as he traded heavy Idaho soil for sandy “beachfront property” in Umatilla, a small town just south of the Columbia River. Over time, he has improved the quality of the soil he farms, he says. By incorporating residue back into the ground, he has increased organic matter and nutrients and reduced wind erosion. It also took time – and some trial and error – to discover the cultivars best suited for the area’s growing conditions. To start, the grower tried Russet Burbank, but found that when grown in the sandy soil along the Columbia River, the variety is susceptible to internal brown spot and has trouble tolerating the area’s hot summers. Eventually, Ford found that Ranger Russet and Shepody not only grow well in the area, but also help the farm take advantage of the early potato processing market. “We’ve found a real niche right in here with the early Shepodys and Rangers we raise for Simplot,” Ford explains. “When we dig our Shepodys and Rangers, we start the plants in Idaho until the Idaho crop comes in.” Ford begins harvesting the Shepody crop in mid-July and early Ranger Russet crop in August. Both are grown for French fry production, while late

Ranger Russets go to the dehydration market.

Managing Challenges to Ensure Quality, Survival

Ford lists 2014 among the years in which he hit the benchmarks required for “Mac fry” quality spuds. In addition, he was generally pleased with yield last season. While Alturas tonnage was down possibly due to the summer’s unusually warm weather, Ford says, the Ranger Russet and Shepody crops handled the high temperatures well, and fields topped 40 tons an acre. “When we were farming in southern Idaho back in the 1970s, if we got 300 sacks per acre – which would be 15 tons – my dad was doing cartwheels all the way to the bank,” Ford recounts, drawing the comparison to recent years, in which he has harvested crops yielding as many as 45 tons (or 900 sacks) an acre. He chalks up the higher yields to the difference in climate including longer days, as well as improved farming practices. Ford has been working to increase the specific gravity of tubers by finetuning the farm’s nutrients program. The tweaks he has made in the timing of nitrogen cut-off appear to have resulted in nice gravities, favorable

February

Potato Country

25

internals and good fry color in the 2014 crop, he reports. The season was not without challenges, however. The farm experienced an infestation of Colorado potato beetles. “Everything we threw at it killed some, but some just licked it up and kept right on going,” Ford describes. “Normally we clean them right up.” Colorado potato beetles migrate into spuds from nearby wheat or corn fields and usually can be controlled with chemicals sprayed along field edges. With control methods ineffective last year, the insects damaged fields, resulting in yield loss. Vines died early in one strip through the middle of a field, and tonnage in those rows was one-third less than the rest of the field. Weeds presented a similar challenge. Ford had to apply herbicides three times – one more application than usual – to manage weeds last year. “I don’t know if it was the warm weather or whatnot, but the herbicides didn’t work,” Ford says. “The weeds just took off and we had trouble controlling them.” The grower believes that staying on top of potential problems, along with other lessons learned from his father – who is still farming at age 91 – and Neal and Curt Perkins, will keep Bruce Ford Farms in business for years to come. Although bigger farms are the trend in the potato industry, Ford says a farm the size of his can survive by controlling input costs and providing a quality product to the processor. “In this area, I’m scared for the small guys like me. This is big corporate farm area. We’re surrounded by big farmers,” Ford shares. “But with these 1,900 acres, I can make a nice living. When commodity prices are good and we have good potato crops, I can do well.” He continues, “What we do differently than the big corporate farms is we’re in the field every day. We feel we can deliver a better product than they can mainly because it’s easier to manage less acreage, and I can check the fields more carefully on a daily basis. Hopefully that keeps us in business for a long time.” 26

Potato Country

February 2015

Umatilla, Oregon, potato grower Bruce Ford shows off a few large Ranger Russets during harvest.

National Potato Council

The Magnificent Seven: NPC Past Presidents Honored for WIC Accomplishment By John Keeling, NPC vice president and CEO

A

t the National Potato Council (NPC) Annual Meeting on Jan. 9, 2015, in Orlando, Florida, seven NPC past presidents were invited to come on stage to be recognized for their involvement in adding fresh white potatoes to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The battle was fought long and hard with victory within arm’s-length throughout its seven-year course, but at the end of the day it remained an uphill battle until the bitter end. Picture a grocery store clerk telling a WIC mother that she cannot use the vouchers provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase fresh white potatoes, but any other fruit or vegetable in the grocery store is acceptable. Think of the message that sends about the nutrition of a potato. Although she could buy the same potato with a voucher at a farmer’s market, until Congress acted last year grocery store potatoes were off-limits. WIC, a program designed to increase the intake of key nutrients for a population with special nutritional needs, expanded in 2009 to allow participants to use WIC vouchers to purchase all fresh fruits and vegetables, with the singular exception of fresh white potatoes. For the past several years, NPC has worked to include fresh white potatoes for purchase in the WIC program on the basis of nutritional science. On Dec. 16, 2014, the tireless efforts of NPC grower leaders and the entire potato industry paid off when President Barack Obama signed the 2015 Appropriations Act into law with directions from Congress to include potatoes in the WIC program. The mandated change in public policy was facilitated by NPC presidents during those seven years, who did their part in

NPC past presidents were honored with framed prints commemorating the group’s recently-won battle to add fresh white potatoes to the WIC program. Pictured left to right: Randy Hardy, Randy Mullen, Don Sklarczyk, Ed Schneider, Roger Mix, Justin Dagen and Steve Crane. Photo courtesy NPC

educating members of Congress on the nutritional value of potatoes for all consumers, but particularly for the special needs of WIC participants. Members of Congress took a bi-partisan look and acknowledged the importance of WIC mothers having the ability to use vouchers and buy an affordable bag of potatoes that are nutritious and an important source of potassium and fiber, which are identified by the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services as “nutrients of concern.”

The potato community is appreciative of the leadership shown by Congress to pass this bill and return common sense to the WIC program by recognizing the nutritional value of fresh white potatoes. “As a potato industry, we knew we were doing the right thing from a scientific, nutritional and economic standpoint. We knew what we were doing was best for the women and children of the U.S., and that's what kept us going through those challenging times,” said NPC 2011 Past President, Justin Dagen.

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Market Report

Dehydration: The Underappre

D

ehydration accounts for less than 12 percent of U.S. commercial potato usage, compared with 39 percent used for French fry production, 24 percent shipped fresh and 15 percent used in the manufacture of potato chips. Furthermore, dehydrators tend to use the least valuable portion of the potato crop. Therefore, it may be tempting to dismiss the dehy sector as an unimportant sideshow for the potato industry as a whole. However, doing so would be a mistake. The value of the dehy sector for growers and marketers alike far exceeds the volume or dollar value of its sales. It is no accident that the growth of dehydration and the rising dominance of Idaho in the U.S. potato market happened concurrently. Idaho’s Russet Burbank potatoes were famous long before dehydration began its rapid expansion, starting with the 1957 potato crop. However, dealing with a large supply of off-grade potatoes was becoming a major challenge. Only about 50 percent of the Russet Burbanks grown at that time made USDA fresh market grade standards. Outlets for off-grade potatoes were limited to starch factories and cattle feed. Dehydration provided a solution to that problem. Even today, approximately 80 percent of U.S. dehydration capacity is located in Idaho. Dehydrators were using 40.4 million cwt of potatoes per year by 1976, up from 3.2 million cwt in 1956. During that same period, Idaho’s potato production increased from 33.7 million cwt to 88.5 million cwt. Much of the production increase went to frozen processing, but dehydration provided the home for potatoes that could not meet 28

Potato Country

February 2015

grade standards or were unusable in frozen processing. Dehydration reached a peak with the 1976 crop, which was not surpassed until 1991. Processing capacity had outstripped demand for the finished product. The consolidation during that 15-year timeframe strengthened the sector for the long run, setting the stage for a new surge in usage during the 1990s, as snack food companies brought new products fabricated from potato flakes to market. Dehydrators used a record 55.5 million cwt of potatoes from the 1998 crop. That record has not yet been surpassed. USDA puts usage from the 2013 crop at 47.8 million cwt. The industry has undergone another round of consolidation since 1998. Processing is now controlled by four large firms, with a few minor players still holding on. Off-grade fresh potatoes are still the major sources of raw product for the industry. However, new varieties and improved cultural practices have reduced the percentage of fresh potatoes being graded out, and declining demand has further eroded that source of raw product. As a result, dehydrators have had to contract more field run potatoes to cover their needs. Dehydrators and fryers often swap raw product, in order to optimize supplies for their uses. In addition, one eastern flake plant uses potatoes rejected by potato chip producers as a major source of raw product. The raw product moving from other processors to dehydration eases waste problems and reduces overall raw product cost throughout the industry. Potatoes contracted directly from growers for dehydration also serve fryers as a safety

reserve in the event that their contracted supplies come up short of the industry’s needs. It is in these functions that dehydration provides the potato industry with a service that far exceeds the raw product volume used, or the dollar volume of dehydrated potato product sales. Though dehydration accounts for a much smaller portion of raw product usage than French fry production, in many ways the industry is much more complex. Products are divided into three general categories: flakes; granules; and slices and pieces. The largest market is for industrial (ingredient) products, followed by institutional and foodservice sales (such as schools, hospitals and prisons). The United States Potato Board (USPB) indicates that retail sales amount to about 98 million pounds of product per year, with a value of $329 million. At that level, retail volume would account for about 12 percent of production. The USPB usage estimate may be conservative, but it is safe to say that retail sales account for less than 20 percent of the dehy sector’s production volume. Information on dehydration is extremely limited. Dehydrators tend to guard data as trade secrets. USDA collects information on raw product usage, but there are no data on inventories or the mix of products produced. Retail data are limited to that provided by market scanning services. Data on foodservice and industrial sales are nonexistent. The only information available on those sectors is what can be deduced from a combination of information on raw product usage and international trade. International trade is a much larger factor for dehydrated potatoes than it is

eciated Potato Market

By Bruce Huffaker, Publisher North American Potato Market News

for other potato products. We estimate that at least 41 percent of dehydrated product is exported each year, either directly or in finished products. In contrast, exports account for less than 23 percent of frozen product sales and less than 10 percent of the fresh potato market. The export market presents dehydrators with both opportunities and challenges. Dehydrated product exports go to three distinct markets. The U.S.Canadian market is integrated, through NAFTA, with products flowing in both directions. However, in contrast with the situation in the frozen product sector, the U.S. is a net exporter of dehydrated products to Canada. Integration with the Mexican market is more complex. Mexico does not have its own dehydration plants, but much of the dehydrated product that it imports is returned to the U.S. in the form of fabricated snack foods. Canada imports about 10 percent of U.S. dehydrated potato products, with Mexico taking another 7 percent. Offshore markets take 24 percent of production, between them. The U.S. and European Union (EU) countries dominate global trade in dehydrated product, with over 95 percent of the market, between them. EU exports (excluding intra-EU trade) account for about 67 percent of the combined share, with the U.S. capturing 33 percent of the market (excluding sales to Canada and Mexico). Since NEW/USED WALK-IN COOLER-FREEZER REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS HUGE Inventory-All Sizes Buy  Sell  Nationwide 

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2003, the global market for dehydrated products has been expanding an average of 7.4 percent per year. That provides the industry with expansion opportunities. However, European exporters are formidable competitors. EU exports have grown at a 9.2 percent annual rate since 2003, while U.S. offshore exports have been increasing at a 4.5 percent annual rate. Maintaining domestic markets may be an even greater challenge for dehydrators. Anecdotal evidence suggests that volume sales are declining in the foodservice and retail sectors, but the bigger challenge comes in the indus-

trial market. Through 2008, imports of dehydrated product from EU suppliers were minimal. Now, the U.S. has become the EU’s second largest customer. While imports have backed off from a peak of 85 million pounds in 2012, the 44 million pounds of product imported last year still displaces 2.6 million cwt of domestic potatoes.

Editor’s Note: To contact Mr. Huffaker, or to subscribe to North American Potato Market News (published 48 times per year), write or call: PO Box 135, Shelley, ID 83274; telephone (208) 525-8397; fax (208) 525-8569; or e-mail [email protected].

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5610- 1999 DL 801 bed 20' nstn- 94 Logan 90series 5602- 95 DL 802 bed 22' nstn- 85 Logan 20' bed elec. nstn- 96 DL 801 bed 20' nstn- 96 Spudnik bed 20' 5564- 90 Davis bed 20' nstn- 85 Spudnik bed 20'

TRUCKS

nstn- 2007 Sterling Mercedes, Auto shift 22' bed ready 5609- 1994 Ford L9000 Cat 3176 9spd 5400- 1988 White 300 cum 9spd 20' bed ready 5204- 1978 IH 1900 DT466 13spd 20' bed ready

Grain Equipment

Portable Conveyors

3099- New Crustbuster 850 grain cart 5538- 2009 Westfield 13" x 61' swing hopper PTO 5029- 2005 Brandt 8" x 62 PTO 5469- 2003 Brandt 13" x 70' Swing hopper PTO 5599- Snowco 6"x40' PTO 5416- IH 620 Drills 24'

5494- 2000 Spudnik 24'x40' tip dwn 3ph 5502- 1998 Spudnik 36" x 20' side shift 3ph nstn- 1995 Double L 809 30" x 38' 3ph

5606- 2012 Darf series 917 model FD Rake 2161- Tyler Fertilizer Tlr Cart Spreader 5 ton

Know Your Insects Answers (from page 8) 1. False. In fact, green peach aphid is the very best at transmitting PVY to potatoes. 2. False. All life stages of aphids can transmit PVY. 3. True. PVY is known as a non-persistent virus, which means that aphids acquire the virus and retain it only briefly, losing virus infectivity as they feed. 4. False. PVY can be spread by both colonizing aphids like green peach aphid, and non-colonizing aphids flying through the field and “tasting” the plants. Seed treatment insecticides prevent colonization of the field, which is important to prevent aphid population buildup. However, non-colonizing aphids can transmit PVY very quickly, before being affected by systemic insecticides.

Know Your Disease Answers (from page 22) Photo A: This is late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans. Most of the time, this pathogen cannot survive in nature without host tissue (primarily potato or tomato). Most often the pathogen survives from year to year in cull piles, volunteer plants, infected seed, or tomato transplants.

Hay / Fertilizer Equipment

Consign, Buy or Trade

CALL FOR DETAILS AND AVAILABILITY!

ciency for rural small businesses and agriculture producscanimprovements this to shop now! ers. The application deadline for FY2015 is April 30, 2015. For more information regarding this funding opportunity, visit http://www.rurdev. usda.gov/BCP_ReapResEei.html. The Value Added Producer Grant Program (VAPG), administered by USDA Rural Development, helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of bio-based value-added products. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities and increasing producer income are the end goals of this program. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. More information regarding this funding opportunity can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_VAPG.html.

Call Bruce Nyborg, Evan Nyborg or Tyson Arnold, the New Washington Representative Living in TRI-Cities, Washington

(208) 356-5120 or 1-800-346-3623

Photos B and C: These bumps are caused by the Columbia rootknot nematode (Meloidogyne chitwoodi). The small, brown dots just under the skin are where females have invaded and produced eggs. Second stage juveniles hatch from the eggs and can then re-infect potato tissue.

Evan Cell (208) 757-8481, Tyson Cell (208) 881-6321 EquipmEnt

615 E. 3rd North l Sugar City, ID

Fax (208) 356-0770 l www.agritechcorp.com on our wEbsitE! E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]

numbErs can bE sEEn

30

Potato Country

February 2015

Photo D: This is gray mold tuber decay caused by Botrytis cinerea. Tuber infection is very rare, but can occur when tubers are damaged.

Reduces weak stems Results in more payables

Stehekin, LLC

We go above and below to protect your potato crop.

Realize a healthy potato crop with an alternative to metam sodium. Introducing the revolutionary one-two punch that sets a new standard for producing healthy potatoes. The DuPont™ V2™ Advantage — DuPont™ Vertisan™ fungicide and DuPont™ Vydate® C-LV insecticide/nematicide — is a full-season program that can replace fumigants like metam sodium. The combination helps promote stronger, more vigorous plants and the consistent yield and quality you expect. Vertisan™ and Vydate® C-LV work together to protect against above- and below-ground pests and diseases while protecting roots for better overall plant health. For more information, talk to your local DuPont retailer and visit v2advantage.dupont.com

DuPont Vydate C-LV is a restricted-use pesticide. DuPont Vertisan is not registered for use in California or New York. See your local DuPont retailer or representative for details and availability in your state. ™

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Always read and follow all label directions and precautions for use when using any pesticide alone or in tank-mix combinations. OLDWHV The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont , V2 Advantage, Vydate C-LV and Vertisan DUHWUDGHPDUNVRUUHJLVWHUHGWUDGHPDUNVRI'X3RQWRULWVDŐ Copyright© 2015 E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. All Rights Reserved. DUPCNP14009_010115_PC ™

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