Eye on Potatoes: A Podcast on All Things Potatoes

As potato growers continue to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic fallout, Congressman Mike Simpson and the entire Idaho Congressional delegation are championing policy solutions to support the nation's struggling potato industry. Congressman Simpson joins the podcast to discuss the role Congress needs to play as the industry works to dig out from a 1.5 billion pound oversupply of 2019 potatoes stuck in the supply chain and seeks meaningful direct payment relief to keep family farms in business.
Also, National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles calls in from D.C. to discuss the $300 million in additional potato purchases the industry needs to help bring supply and demand back into balance.
Guests:

• U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho)
• NPC CEO Kam Quarles

National Potato Council Vice President of Legislative Affairs JR Andrus from Idaho joins CEO Kam Quarles for a discussion on proposals being floated in Congress to fund infrastructure improvements on the backs of family farmers. JR says that some infrastructure investments are important, however they should not be paid for by undermining U.S. family farms that are still struggling to recover from the pandemic.

Just when you thought NPC's efforts to keep potatoes defined as a vegetable couldn't gain more media attention, in comes Jimmy Fallon, who provided a light-hearted overview of the issue in the opening monologue of a recent Tonight Show. NPC CEO Kam Quarles and podcast host Lane Nordlund sat down to talk about NPC's efforts to protect potatoes in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the ongoing negotiations to open Japan's market to U.S. fresh potatoes, and if we can see a Farm Bill passed this year.
This podcast is possible thanks to our presenting sponsor, Syngenta. Delivering solutions to help producers face the potato industry's complex challenges, Syngenta provides growers with unmatched field expertise along with an array of effective products. Explore syngenta-us.com/spud-doctor to discover solutions for your potato-growing obstacles.

This week, the Eye on Potatoes podcast welcomed Mark Klompien, President and CEO of United Potato Growers of America, to provide an outlook for remainder of this current shipping crop and a look head to plantings and acreage for the 2021 fresh potato crop. Additionally, in his role as Chairman of United Fresh’s Government Relations Council, Mark discussed the United Fresh/PMA merger and what it means for potato organizations.
Learn more about UPGA at unitedpotato.com.

Farmers, ranchers, and forest owners are on the frontlines of climate change and have an important role to play in developing solutions. That shared understanding led an unprecedented group — representing farmers, forest owners, the food sector, state governments, and environmental advocates — to form the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), of which the National Potato Council is a member.
This week, Randy Russell, founder of The Russell Group, which manages the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance, joins the 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.
To learn more about FACA, visit agclimatealliance.com.